Biofuels have been at the center of intense interest, discussion, and debate in recent years. The global biofuels boom began in 2004-2005 with the announcement by the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) of policies and incentives to support increased use of biofuels. In addition to spurring domestic production in several countries, especially the EU, the policies encouraged producers to seek out feedstocks and fuel from tropical and subtropical regions, initiating pan-global trade in biofuels. Soon thereafter, several Asian governments announced ambitious plans to promote biofuels production for both domestic consumption and export. Within a few years, biofuels had been transformed from a niche energy source to a globally traded commodity attracting billions of dollars in investments. Total biofuels production in Asia has grown more than five-fold since 2004, from just over 2 billion liters to almost 12 billion liters in 2008
