石化燃料是当前人类使用的主要能源，但其日益消耗殆尽，同时造成了严重的温室效应和环境污染问题，因此，生物柴油被当作石化燃料的绿色替代品，许多国家都在大力研发 。该文阐述了生物柴油的本质及其较石化柴油咱使用上的优良特性，综述了生物柴油主要在欧美国家中的发展现状及其它国家的研发动态，特别是以大豆（Glycine max）和油菜（Brassica campestris）等油料作物为主的生物柴油原料生产状况。在分析了我国油料生产与食用消费现状、受国际生物柴油大力发展的影响的程度及油料作物与粮食生产对耕地资源的激竞争矛盾的基础上，提出了充分利用盐碱地、贫瘠、荒漠与退耕还林地，通过种植抗逆性强的油料植物发展我国生物柴油的思路。
The stocks of fossil fuels, currently the major energy source driving the global socioeconomy, is being heavily depleted due to increasing anthropogeni cactivities worldwide, and its burning contributes to global climate warming and air pollution. In contrast, biodiesel is an alternative non_toxic, biodegradable, and renewable alternative energy source. This paper discusses the essence, properties and the development of biodiesel fuels, mainly in European countries; discusses the international supply and demand of soybean and rapeseed, the main biodiesel feedstock; and analyzes the production and consumption of edible plant oils in China and its balance as it is affected by international biodiesel development. Considering that domestic foodstuffs and plant oil production currently are insufficient to feed the 1.3 billion people in China due to limited agricultural lands, ultimately ways are needed to grow biodiesel feedstock on unproductive agricultural lands, such as saline_alkaline lands, poor soil, desertified soils, and plough_withdrawn land.