Main Observations.
This edited volume provided a systematic study of the drivers, impacts, and trade-offs of different biofuel production (and use) practices in different developing nations. The evidence provided in the 13 chapters of this volume suggests that several biofuel practices exist, each having radically different impacts on the environment and on human well-being. In fact, the term biofuels includes an array of different practices that are carried out in different ecosystems, for different purposes, and which can complement or compete with other human activities and natural processes. For example, the environmental and socioeconomic impacts as well as the drivers of large-scale sugarcane bioethanol production in Brazil (Chapters 6–8) are certainly different from those of small-scale jatropha biodiesel production in rural sub-Saharan Africa (Chapters 1, 11, and 13). What is more, the drivers, impacts, and potential of the same biofuel production practice might vary significantly across different world regions, as is the case for sugarcane bioethanol (Chapters 6, 7, and 12) and jatropha biodiesel (Chapters 10 and 13). With this in mind, it would be reckless to group biofuels under the same banner when discussing their impacts and potential as it is very important to understand the environmental and socioeconomic contexts within which current biofuel expansion is taking place. This can contribute to a better understanding of the trade-offs and factors shaping the acceptability of biofuels by stakeholders. However, despite this context specificity of drivers and impacts, some general trends have been observed in this edited volume, and are summarized below.