"It is increasingly obvious that we must not only reduce the carbon footprint of existing systems. We must also introduce and rapidly scale up new systems that remove and safely sequester, in the aggregate, gigatons of carbon per year from the atmosphere. Without large-scale carbon-negative systems, the relatively stable and benign climate that we have enjoyed over the past several millennia will be increasingly unstable and prone to extreme behaviors. Thus this is an incredibly important collection of chapters. The editors and authors are to be commended for providing such guidance and insights at a critical time in our collective stewardship of this, our unique and beautiful planetary home."
Dr Bruce E. Dale, University Distinguished Professor - Michigan State University, USA; Editor in Chief: Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining

There is a need to develop next-generation bioenergy systems that exhibit net carbon capture. This collection reviews advances in producing next-generation biofuels from plant materials. These address climate change by fixing carbon in co-products.

Part 1 discusses key technologies to achieve this goal such as biomass gasification, fast pyrolysis and torrefaction. Chapters review advances in technology, applications and commercial development. Part 2 assesses advances in production of biofuels from crops such as jatropha, oilseeds (such as canola and rapeseed), Miscanthus, switchgrass and willow, as well as the sustainable use of seaweed for biofuel.

With its international range of expert authors, Achieving carbon-negative bioenergy systems from plant materials will be a standard reference for researchers in agricultural and environmental science focussing on plant-based biofuel technologies, as well as government and other agencies supporting this sector.

Dr Christopher Saffron is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University, USA. He has published widely and has pending patents in the area of catalytic processes for biofuel production. He is a member of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, one of the three centers established by the US Department of Energy to promote bioenergy research.