A fundamental transformation is underway in the use of biomass resources for food, feed, fuel, fibre and many other uses. This transformation arises from the combination of three key drivers over the coming decades: the need to substitute renewable resources for the non-renewable ones on which economic growth has been predicated; the need to adapt to a changing climate by using resources more wisely and investing in the technology for biofuels that are carbon-negative; and the resource requirements of a growing world population with increasing demands for food, feed and fuel. There is wide scope for reconciling expanded biofuel production with food security and even for deploying biofuels in a way that support sustainable development and helps to revive rural economies. In order to realise the potential for synergies rather than conflicts between food and fuel, substantial investment in research and development is needed, as is a rejection of subsidies for unsustainable agricultural practices and a wide adoption of policies that support integrated and highly productive biomass platforms. Future trends in demand and supply reveal the importance of avoiding the view that food security and biofuel development are competing objectives: the biomass resources that support food and fuel—as well as feed, fibre, fertiliser and other uses—can and must be used synergistically to address the energy and climate challenge of the coming decades.