The Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations clearly defines the basis for food security existence: Food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The Rome declaration on world food security in 1996 established the strategies of global dimensions to solve the prob­lems of hunger and food insecurity (United Nations, 1996). However, at that time, the bioenergy or biofuels were not mentioned or considered as a threat.

Today, the opposition considers that the use of biofuels exacerbates world hun­ger based on the land competition for bioenergy and food crops. On the other hand, defenders believe that far from creating food shortages, biofuels represent the best opportunity for sustainable economic prospects in many developing countries. To discuss these positions objectively, different factors must be analyzed in order to explore the global panorama of the problem (or the opportunity). First, potentials for growing edible crops for biofuels or food should be identified. Second, the residues obtained in food crops production and processing are a source for cel — lulosic ethanol without using new lands for biofuels. The genetic modification of crops looking for high productivity is also an issue of high importance. Another important factor is the complex relationships between bioethanol and fossil oil dependence not only for energy but also for agrochemicals and fertilizers. But one of the most significant factors to be considered in this discussion is the economical issue (including agricultural market impacts) of producing crops for bioethanol instead of foods. Hereinafter, these factors are studied and discussed.

For this type of discussion, technical tools are needed. An integral strategy was proposed by the Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) Project, whereby the risks and opportunities of bioenergy and how it can affect food security in developing countries are analyzed. An overview of the project, its strategy and objectives, as well as some modifications given by the authors, is presented in this chapter.