Abdollah Esmaeili
The significant rise in oil prices and the uncertainty about the future behavior of oil have made alternative sources of energy that were not profitable in the past, or were not seen as having the characteristics for major industrial development, now viable. Global bio-fuels production illustrates the complexity of harmonizing the different variables of sustainable development in Asia and Africa. Pursuing environmental protection and implementing social standards, while ensuring economic feasibility in industrial activities, is vital for low- and middle-income countries in order for them to compete in the global economy. Additional elements – such as food security risks, bio-fuels production subsidies, and volatility of commodity prices – make the bio-fuels scenario even more complex, challenging the strategic position and capacities of low- and middle-income countries to become key global players in the bio-fuels market by taking advantage of their privileged access to natural resources and their land availability for agricultural production.