Valorization of Agro-Waste Biomass into Biofuel: A Step Towards Effective Agro-Waste Management

The increase in population and accompanying agricultural production generates tons of agro-wastes. Sustainable management of agro-waste is essential for efficient food production and minimization of environmental pollution. A million tons of agro-wastes produced per annum have enough renewable energy content. The energy-rich lignocellulosic biomass has the potential to generate biofuel that can bridge the gap between production and consumption in the available energy pool. The pretreatment and treatment of agro-wastes produce biofuels having multipurpose utility. Industrial development and change in lifestyle patterns increase the pressure on the consumption of conventional energy resources. Biofuel is a product of biomass valorization. It is a cheap source of nonconventional energy, having the ability to fulfill the energy demands of society, without environmental degradation. In view of the increased demand for agro-waste management, the transformation of these wastes to biofuel is a viable option. Further study on this aspect is required to improve the efficiency of this biofuel production system.