France Looks to Biofuel to Solve Energy Woes

Renowned the world over for its culinary tradition, France is now turning its cash crops and prized produce into biofuel, a shift that has some critics up in arms.

As gasoline prices and environmental concerns mount, Paris believes that cleaner and more efficient biofuels are a recipe for success.
“The French government thinks it’s a good alternative to conventional fuel,” said Xavier Montagne, deputy scientific director at the state-backed French Petroleum Institute.

While the United States has the lead in producing ethanol, mostly from corn and wheat, Europe is the biggest producer of biodiesel, which it derives from crops like rapeseed and soybeans.

French farmer Jean-Charles DesChamps raises crops for use in making both fuels.

“It’s a good business,” he said. “We’ve increased our output for several years now.”

But as in the United States and elsewhere, there is debate over biofuels in France. The question is whether French crops should help power cars, buses and trucks or whether they should be grown for food.

My Fox Chattanooga