US Secretary of State for Agriculture Ed Schafer was bullish at a press conference prior to his attendance at this week's conference on World Food Security.  "The message I will deliver on behalf of the United States will be straightforward", he said. "[The] United States contributes more than one-half of all the world's food aid and the world's other developed nations have an obligation to provide food efficiently without obstructing access to it or limiting safe technologies to produce it."

The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), a trade body to help accelerate the development and commercial application of algae biomass, has been launched by a group of interested parties it was announced yesterday (29th May). 

“Given the social, economic, and environmental possibilities for algae, and the growing number of companies, technologies and products being developed to address them, it is becoming increasingly important to harness their potential  for use across multiple industries now,” said Billy Glover, managing director, Environmental Strategy,  Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and ABO steering committee co-chair.

Shell has said it will be blending BTL (Biomass to Liquids) into its Shell V-Power Diesel race fuel at the Le Mans 24 Hours race, in France on June 14, 2008. According to the company this will be the first time a second-generation biofuel has been used at Le Mans.  Shell V-Power Diesel also includes synthetic GTL (Gas to Liquids) Fuel made by Shell from natural gas, which provides very clean and efficient combustion.

Canadian biofuels legislation, which would require all gasoline sold in Canada contain five percent ethanol by 2010, and all diesel and heating oil contain two percent renewable fuels by 2012, passed through the House of Commons, the Canadian lower house, yesterday (18th May). The legislation will now proceed to the Senate of Canada for debate.

Biofuels are far from the dominant factor in the recent food price increases according to research published today (28th May) by New Energy Finance. While the report acknowledges that "increased biofuels production has been a meanigful driver of food price inflation" it points to increases in input costs "which have played a much larger role" in driving the prices.

The Queensland government has provided Aus$166,000 ($160,000) funding for an algae to biofuel project based in Townsville. The project is a partnership between James Cook University (JCU) and Australian company MBD Biodiesel Ltd.

"Considering the current debate about agricultural land being used to produce biofuels, algae may well be a significant future alternative fuel source as we set about tackling climate change," said state premier Anna Bligh.

Increasing global demand, drought, high energy prices and other factors, not biofuels, are the primary drivers of higher food costs according to an economic analysis by the US Department of Agriculture released yesterday (19th May). During a briefing on the case for food and fue, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer pointed to the fact that oil prices have broken through a series of price ceilings this year.

Countries should avoid planting crops for biofuels that stand a high risk of becoming invasive species, according to a report released today (20th May). The report, Biofuel Crops and Non Native Species: Mitigating the risks of Invasion, published by the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP), calls on countries to carry out risk assessments before they plant biofuel crops. It urges governments to use low-risk species of crops for biofuels and introduce new controls to manage invasive species.