The March 2008 Newsletter of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) features an analysis of the benefits and risks of the emerging biofuels revolution, particularly in developing countries. Under a global setting of drastically rising fossil fuel prices, and the environmental threats of climate change, developing countries are looking to biofuels development as a solution for (1) energy security and (2) reduction of greenhouse emissions for climate change mitigation. Biofuels could also (3) provide opportunities for “new sources of wealth”, since bioenergy crops for biofuels production are abundantly available in these countries. However, the benefits are also accompanied by risks, which require a cautious and well managed approach to bioenergy development policy. There are questions and concerns related to potential negative impacts of biofuels on agriculture/food security, poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability: “Will the rural poor benefit from the biofuels revolution?”, “Will large scale biofuel crop plantations destroy biodiversity-rich forests?”, “Will food prices like corn and maize increase as a result of high demand of these crops for biofuels?”. To address these questions, CGIAR formed the “Bioenergy Platform of the Alliance of the CGIAR Centers”. The alliance will join cooperative research efforts to ensure that developing countries will benefit from the biofuels revolution. Emerging solutions seem to dwell on (1) the development of “alternative” bioenergy crops which thrive on drylands/marginal soils, with low water requirements or low agricultural inputs, and (2) development of innovative public-private sector partnerships which harness research results into productive economic endeavors that benefit rural farmers..