Demand for biofuels in the U.S. and Europe is causing food shortages in some of the poorer regions of the world, The New York Times reports. 

Recent laws in the United States and Europe that mandate the increasing use of biofuel in cars have had far-flung ripple effects, economists say, as land once devoted to growing food for humans is now sometimes more profitably used for churning out vehicle fuel.

In a globalized world, the expansion of the biofuels industry has contributed to spikes in food prices and a shortage of land for food-based agriculture in poor corners of Asia, Africa and Latin America because the raw material is grown wherever it is cheapest.

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Hawaii is not immune from the biofuel versus food debate. State regulators are currently reviewing several contracts to produce locally-grown biofuels for the electric utility. Groups such as Blue Planet Foundation have raised concerns about an aggressive move toward biofuels, arguing that Hawaii needs to use the land for food production and that other sources of renewable energy should take precedence. Supporters argue that biofuels provide firm power for the utility and can create jobs.