French minister advocates potential pause in biofuels development

Biofuels production could be potentially capped in the near future in France following a cabinet meeting this September.

Agriculture minister Stephane Le Foll mentioned that France should reconsider its plans to further develop the use of biofuel during the meeting.

Le Foll was quoted as saying that France’s targets for incorporating biofuel elements into traditional fuel ‘should be put up for discussion even though it could result in large quantities of agricultural products being diverted from food use’.

That plan would call for a 7% cap on the incorporation into traditional fuel of first generation biofuel as the French government considers the rising price of feedstocks across both fuel and food sectors.

E10 market share in France currently stands at 23.5% since it was introduced three years ago.