Fuel v food dangerous battle

THE IMPORTANCE of properly co-ordinating EU policies on renewable fuels and agriculture cannot be over-estimated.

US poultry producers have put the potential food-fuel conflict well. They say a 20-gallon vehicle fuel tank filled with E10, a 90% petrol and 10% ethanol blend, requires enough maize to feed a 25-pound turkey or seven five-pound broilers.

Universal use of an 85% ethanol and 15% petrol fuel blend in the US is not inconceivable — even though it would consume almost all of the world’s grain supply.