**4. Conclusion**

This chapter is not meant to be a comprehensive assessment of biomass to biofuels, but rather a look at unconventional approaches that would enhance the sustainability of the entire process. To meet the goals of biofuel production by 2030 will require optimizing land use for food, feed, and bioenergy production. It should be approached from a standpoint of develop‐ ing a viable biofuel production system that increases the amount of energy stored in the molecules making up the biofuels, i.e., longer-chain molecules, more energy per unit of fuel. To be sustainable into the future we must be willing to develop alternative systems that supply a range of biomaterials. Although the producing energy alternatives is of major concern at the present time we should be evaluating and developing bioenergy systems that allow flexibility not only in terms of feedstock going in, but the products coming out. Development of biomass to biofuels systems should look at how we can maximize the value of the total process, that is, optimize land use, embrace farming systems that decrease or eliminate soil/nutrient losses, improve economics of production, utilization of value-added products, and total energy production versus inputs. The entire process must also be sustainable from an environmental standpoint and provide economic advantages to the producer. Our vision into the future should be one of maximizing the productivity of each acre of farmland while meeting the needs for feed, food, and energy along with improving the soil for future generations. Decisions made today should not be overly influenced solely by short term economic gains.
