Call for countries to freeze or end subsidies for biofuel production

THE amount of grain diverted to ethanol production worldwide trebled between 2004 and 2008.

Dr Joachim von Braun, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, said increased biofuel demand accounted for 30% of the rise in world grain prices between 2000 and 2007.

“When food prices are high, subsidies for biofuel production should be reduced, frozen, or subjected to a moratorium on biofuels from grains and oilseeds,” he said.

He said the development of second-generation biofuel technologies may partly overcome the food-fuel competition and lessen the negative effects on the poor.

Dr von Braun said developed countries should cease their support of uncompetitive biofuel production with subsidies that act as a tax on basic food and distort the competitive advantage of developing countries.

He also predicted water demand for global food production will increase by one-third by 2030.

“It currently takes one litre of water to grow one calorie of food. As more people move to Western-style diets, it will take up to 3,000 litres of water a day to feed the average person.

“However, water is already a serious limiting factor to food production in many countries and over one billion people do not have access to safe water with arid and semi-arid regions experiencing persistent water shortages,” he said.

Dr von Braun said yields and overall agricultural productivity have stagnated in recent years.

Annual world yield has declined from about 3% in the 1960s and 1970s to less than 1% at present.

“In the future, as climate change further increases climate vulnerability, temperature and the risks of droughts and floods, threats to agricultural productivity will increase,” he said.

Dr von Braun was speaking at last week’s international conference in Dublin on Fighting Hunger run by Concern.

Concern chief executive Tom Arnold said higher food and energy prices have increased the number of hungry people in the world from 850 million to 925 million during the past year. The number continues to rise and is likely to exceed one billion.

He referred to a decision by the European Parliament that €1 billion in savings from the Common Agricultural Policy this year should be used to help African countries provide inputs for their farmers for the next production cycle.

“The final decision on this has to be taken by the EU council. It is vital this decision is positive and is taken soon,” he said.