Biofuels have received much attention from decision-makers in government and industry, and of the wider public worldwide. As the number of publications devoted to this renewable source of energy is expanding rapidly, it has become increasingly difficult for decision-makers to identify the key messages on which to build their decisions. The International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management (IPSRM) is responding to this challenge with its first assessment report Towards sustainable production and use of resources: Assessing Biofuels. This report is the result of extensive literature examination and a thorough review process, involving a number of experts, to provide a robust assessment of key problems of production and use of biomass for energy purposes and options for more efficient and sustainable production and use of biomass. The focus is on so-called first generation biofuels, due to availability of state-of–the art reviews, but also considers further lines of development. It takes a global perspective, recognizing regional and local differences.