An international partnership to promote the use of ”green” fuels called the Global Bioenergy Partnership recently opened its secretariat at the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations headquarters in Rome.
According to a press release announcing the new partnership, FAO has always actively promoted biofuels as a means of reducing poverty while producing clean, low-cost energy. Given the right technologies, an abundant energy supply could be tapped by converting biomass such as crop residues, grass, straw and brushwood into fuel, while crops like sugar cane, corn and soybeans are already being used to produce ethanol or bio-diesel.
Interestingly, the FAO is promoting the concept that biomass fuels can actually fight against hunger, contrary to recent reports that ethanol production is going to lead to global food shortages and the “food vs fuel” fight. Granted, they are careful to say that it needs to be “done in a sustainable manner” but the point is they acknowledge that it COULD be done.
FAO Senior Energy Coordinator Dr. Gustavo Best says, “Bioenergy opens new opportunities for development in rural areas, new agri-industries, new jobs, new infrastructure and therefore promotes economic development in rural areas.”
He says while we have to be careful that the promotion of bioenergy does not affect food production negatively, but “perhaps it comes to create synergy with food production.”
He suggests the use of crops like sorghum, which could be used to produce both food and fuel, especially with the development with new varieties.
Listen to Dr. Best’s comments here: 
FAO Energy (1 min MP3)
The University of Missouri-Columbia is testing a mixture of corn cobs and coal in the University’s Power Plant, which could reduce emissions, lower fuel costs and create additional income for farmers. The power plant, which burns up to 170,000 tons of coal each year, is conducting the first of several tests of a blended fuel in which up to 10 percent of the mixture is made of corn cobs.
South Dakota-based 
Most ethanol in the US is made from corn while in Brazil its sugar cane – but wheat is the feedstock of choice for our neighbors to the north.
Here’s a screen shot from the home page of the 
Simmons, who drives the No. 17 Ethanol-sponsored car co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and late-night talk show legend Dave Letterman, said changes in the performance of the car, with the new fuel and engine combination, are noticeable.
Here’s a 
Iowa State University researchers are working to cut the use of natural gas from the production of ethanol, which would make it less expensive to make since natural gas is the second largest expense in the ethanol process behind the corn.
Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, pictured here squeezing into an ethanol-powered funny car, is calling for a study into distributing ethanol by pipeline.