GLOBAL THIRST FOR BIOFUELS SPELLS HUNGER

Governments must put people's
right to food before short term
commercial interests, said Oxfam
before the opening of the
Committee on Food Security's
annual meeting in Rome (7
October). The international
agency is calling for Governments
to ensure that biofuel policies do
not force poor farmers off their
land and fuel food price spikes.
The CFS meeting is the first UN
forum to discuss the issue of
biofuels in depth. The aim will be
to agree collective action to
ensure that policies, operations
and investments in biofuels do
not lead to land-grabs and food
prices spikes. The CFS is the
center of the global governance
on food and nutrition security
and includes all governments,
civil society, international
organizations and the private
sector. Its 40th annual meeting
will run from 7 - 11 October.
The UN's Food and Agricultural
Organizations ministerial
meeting, taking place during the
CFS, is an opportunity for
governments to show leadership
and commit to phase out
support for biofuels that have
negative impacts on people's
food security and livelihoods.
"The evidence is clear"
Luca Chinotti, Oxfam food and
agriculture advisor said:
"The evidence is clear. Europe
and the US in particular have
helped spark a global rush for
biofuels that is driving poor
families off their land and fueling
food price rises, while big
business piles up the profit."
It is estimated that by 2020, the
EU's biofuel policies alone could
push up vegetable oil prices by
up to 36 percent, maize by up to
22 percent and sugar by up to
21 percent. While land used to
power European cars with
biofuels for one year could
produce enough wheat and
maize to feed 127 million people.
"The CFS offers a unique
opportunity for countries to go
beyond short term economic
interests and put food and
people first," said Chinotti.
"Governments need to decide
whether to put the interest of
the biofuel industry first or listen
to civil society, international
organizations such as FAO, IFAD,
WFP and the World Bank as well
as the major food companies
who are calling for a radical
change in biofuel policies.