Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 4 — Narrative / commentaryPeer-reviewed

Production of solid biofuels from organic waste in developing countries: A review from sustainability and economic feasibility perspectives

Lina S. Angulo-Mosquera, Allan A. Alvarado-Alvarado, María J. Rivas-Arrieta, Carlos R. Cattaneo, Eldon R. Rene, Octavio García‐Depraect

The Science of The Total Environment · 2021

Read source ↗ All evidence

Summary

This review examines the prospects for solid biofuel production from organic waste streams in developing countries, evaluating both the sustainability credentials and economic feasibility of such systems. The authors synthesised literature on conversion technologies, resource availability, and cost structures to identify barriers and opportunities for scaling waste-to-biofuel pathways in resource-constrained settings. The work appears to conclude that organic waste valorisation through biofuel production offers potential for energy security and waste management, though economic and infrastructural constraints remain significant in many developing contexts.

UK applicability

Whilst the review focuses on developing-country contexts where waste management infrastructure and energy poverty differ markedly from the UK, the technical and economic lessons on waste-to-biofuel conversion may inform UK policy on circular economy and agricultural residue utilisation. UK conditions feature established waste management systems and different subsidy landscapes, limiting direct transferability but relevant for comparative sustainability assessment.

Key measures

Sustainability indicators (environmental, social, economic); feedstock availability; conversion efficiency; production costs; greenhouse gas mitigation potential; market viability

Outcomes reported

The review synthesised evidence on the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of converting organic waste into solid biofuels within developing-country contexts. It assessed sustainability metrics and cost–benefit considerations across different waste-to-biofuel pathways.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Climate & greenhouse gas mitigation
Study type
Narrative Review
Study design
Narrative review
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Global
System type
Food supply chain
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148816
Catalogue ID
SNmohxvq9n-xmojhr

Topic tags

Pulse AI · ask about this record

Dig deeper with Pulse AI.

Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.