In the last two decades, subsidised purchase prices for electricity produced from biogas generated from purpose-grown crops has seen the construction of hundreds of biogas plants across Central Europe in response. The resulting intensive cultivation of monocultures has had a negative impact on the environment and has been a waste of taxpayers' money. In addition, this policy has made the processing of other biowaste uncompetitive, resulting in further public funds being spent on their disposal in landfill sites, thereby raising more environmental concerns.