Liquid biofuels rapid growth to 45 million hectares in 2011
“The expansion of liquid biofuels as been rapid-doubling 68.3 million tonnes in 2006 to 136 million tonnes in 2011, currently drawing on feedstocks from over 45 million ha of land.”
45,000,000 ha=173746 sq mi Germany is 137,846 sq mi Sweden is 173,731 sq mi (15 mi smaller than biofuel area) California is 163,695 sq mi The size of New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, VT and RI) is between 66,507 sq mi and 70,054 sq mi.
To conceptualize, the total land used to cultivate biofuels in 2011 was the size of Sweden, or 2 .5 times the size of New England, or greater than the size of California.
FAO Statistical Yearbook 2012, p317 http://issuu.com/faosyb/docs/fao_statistical_yearbook_2012_issuu/323
[verified 4/15/14]