The Future of Now: Biodiesel Position One
by John Laumer, Philadelphia 
on 07.25.06
Imagine living in a time when global political instability seems the norm, peak oil is widely understood and accepted as an immediate risk, transportation alternatives are getting serious interest by investors, and governments the world over are strategizing over how to control their respective energy futures. If you think that this sounds like the present, we have a question. What one nation would be best positioned to rely on biodiesel fuel to keep their economy running? You’ll never guess. [answer below the fold]
Top ten nations for per capita oil seed production (Numbers are Land area under Total Oilseed, hectares, 2003/2004, per person)
Argentina produces the most per capita, with the US running a distant fifth place.. Apparently Argentine tax code favors the export of value added products (soybean products instead of raw soybeans for example) which has made it a serious competitor of the US and Canada. Currently, very little of the Argentinean soy oil is used for fuel but the parallels to Brazilian ethanol are obvious. They’re well positioned for biodiesel autonomy, should the need arise.
Sure, the positions reverse when you look at absolute production per nation . (Numbers are Land area under Total Oilseed, hectares, 2003/2004)
But, if the choice comes to frying fast food versus filling the SUV tank, there’s just a lot more to go around for each citizen in Argentina.
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