Food production under pressure from EU biofuels usage targets

EUROPEAN food production could come under severe pressure as member states strive to meet the EU’s 2020 biofuels usage targets, according to a new environmental report.

A new report by the independent Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) said that an area equivalent to the entire of Ireland would have to move from food production to biofuel crops to meet the EU’s targets.

The EU has indicated that for 10% of all transport fuels to be biofuel will be a mandatory legal requirement for member states by 2020. The IEEP calculates that this increased focus on biofuel crops will take from 4.1 million to 6.9 million hectares out of food production. The IEEP report urges the EU to address this legal issue before it becomes a difficulty for Europe’s food producers and, consequently, creates an unforeseen food shortage for citizens throughout the continent.