The present invention provides a method and means to change fatty acid and ultimately triacylglycerol production in plants and algae. Methods of the invention comprise the step of altering the activity levels of the committed step for de novo fatty acid biosynthesis, acetyl-CoA carboxylases (ACCase). More specifically, methods of the invention directly enhance the activity of ACCase by down-regulating the biotin/lipoyl attachment domain containing (BADC) genes through biotechnology or selective breeding approaches.