Ethanol production started in the late 1970s in Brazil and some years later in the USA. In contrast to these two countries, EU member states concentrated on biodiesel production because of lower diesel prices and the constantly increasing number of diesel-engine-driven cars. After several years of moderate growth rates, biofuel production began to increase rapidly. This resulted in an increasing demand for arable land on which corn and oilcrops are cultivated for ethanol refineries and biodiesel plants. Perspectives of future biofuel production in the USA, the EU, Brazil, China, India, and several other countries in Southeast Asia show that the demand for arable land will further increase. This will not only lead to higher feed costs for the livestock and poultry industry but also to higher food costs. At the present moment, bio-energy production is not yet a threat to the egg industry, but it can be expected that the recent scenarios of a possible climate change until the end of this century will lead to a fast expansion of the bio-energy industry.
