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The used cooking oil dilemma: Feedstock competitiveness, certification integrity, and U.S. biofuel policy

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  • Steinbach, Sandro

Abstract

•UCO imports rose 750 % since 2022, now supplying 35 % of U.S. bio-based diesel inputs.•Imported UCO displaces traceable U.S. crop oils under carbon intensity scoring rules.•Lax certification standards enable fraud and undermine policy climate credibility.•CI recalibration, audit systems, and targeted incentives can support U.S. feedstocks.•Balanced reforms can sustain trade while improving environmental and market outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Steinbach, Sandro, 2025. "The used cooking oil dilemma: Feedstock competitiveness, certification integrity, and U.S. biofuel policy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:134:y:2025:i:c:s0306919225001125
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102907
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brander, James A., 1995. "Strategic trade policy," Handbook of International Economics, in: G. M. Grossman & K. Rogoff (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 27, pages 1395-1455, Elsevier.
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    4. Goyal, Raghav & Steinbach, Sandro & Yildirim, Yasin & Zhuang, Xiting, 2024. "U.S. Agricultural Trade Challenges Amid Climate and Geopolitical Disruptions," Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm, and Resource Issues, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 39(3), September.
    5. Swanson, Andrew & Arita, Shawn & Cooper, Joseph & Meyer, Seth, 2024. "Secondary Impacts from Rising Used Cooking Oil Demand on Crop-Oil Prices," farmdoc daily, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, vol. 14(230).
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    7. Steinbach, Sandro & Yildirim, Yasin & Zurita, Carlos, 2024. "Potential implications of trade policy shifts after the 2024 U.S. presidential election for the agri-food sector," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
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