Recent increases in food prices and biofuel, are they related?
I have written 3 posts in the past regarding the promotion of biofuels, specifically ethanol, as an alternative to fossil fuel, here...
1. Ethanol, for or against the environment?
2. Farm ethanol plants, part 1.
3. Farm ethanol plants, part 2.
I am aware how governments in developing countries are promoting the production of ethanol for cash, disregarding impacts on food supply. I am doubtful of the soundness of this particular strategy for economic development, specially since it is being done in the name of the environment, compared to changing our lifestyles like reducing fuel consumption.
ed out that a World Bank expert has made a "secret" report (covered in UK's The Guardian) stating that biofuels have jacked up food prices by a whooping 75%. I quote "Rising food prices have pushed 100m people worldwide below the poverty line, estimates the World Bank, and have sparked riots from Bangladesh to Egypt." While a dozen million are concerned with finding fuel for their cars, another hundred million are pummeling each other for a piece of bread. :(
I wonder how many months and dollars were needed to get that report together when common sense says that if we use our limited food resources for something else, a shortage will naturally occur.
Sadly, the report was not published and will probably stay that way. It IS the World Bank after all, funded by the world's biggest economic powers. There is hope though, as the U.K. is having second thoughts on their previous stance on the use of biofuels.
Like I said before, there is nothing wrong with using biofuels as an alternative but we should first consider where it will come from. Knee-jerk reactions and stop-gap measures often creates more problem than they were intended to solve.
Do you think that biofuels, as we know it today (usually coming from food crops or planted on farmlands), should remain in the list of alternative fuels?
