The biofuels industry has become big policy, big business, and increasingly controversial. While countries like the United States and Brazil use biofuels to support farmers, increase energy security (reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil), improve the environment, and increase economic independence by reducing the need for foreign oil, environmentalists challenge the assertion that biofuels, particularly corn ethanol, offer a meaningful reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

What is the potential for biofuels to help meet the world's energy needs, protect the environment, and advance the livelihoods of farmers and other land users around the world? Participants of a workshop organized by the Belfer Center's Environment and Natural Resources Program (ENRP) and Harvard Kennedy School's Sustainability Science Program discussed these questions as they addressed the goals of a sustainable biofuel industry in developing countries and the role of certification processes in attaining these goals. The two-day event in late spring attracted more than 20 leading experts from around the world, representing academia, business, and government.