UN DEBATES, RESOLVES ON BIOFUELS

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) summit in Rome took on the relationship between AGROfuels expansion and rising food prices. They held a debate described as “fiery” and were extremely diplomatic about conclusions: “We call upon relevant inter-governmental organizations, including FAO, within their mandates and areas of expertise, with the involvement of national governments, partnerships, the private sector, and civil society, to foster a coherent, effective and results-oriented international dialogue on biofuels in the context of food security and sustainable development needs.”

Huh?

The UN FAO report did call for “rethinking” of biofuels policy, urged “in-depth studies” and suggested the benefits (economic, environmental, energy return, etc.) are “…at best modest and sometimes even negative.”

The truth is AGROfuels are wreaking havoc without making a lasting contribution to a New Energy infrastructure. See, for example, CORN ETHNAOL AND HUNGER. AGROfuels:
- Return less, or little more, energy than they require for production;
- Do not decrease and may increase greenhouse gas emissions;
- Add to the rising cost of food, pitting the half of the world with cars against the half that is hungry;
- Drive rainforest and wild savannah destruction;
- Distract from the development of efficient electric transportation technology;
- Benefit a narrow segment of corporate agribusiness giants while being detrimental to the rest of the world’s farmers;
- Give Big Oil a place to invest “green” in a way that guarantees the world’s dependence on petroleum.

No wonder the AGROfuels associations were so satisfied with the diplomatic UNFAO report they would like it to serve as a template for future reports on the topic: "Moving forward, we hope that the leaders of the G8 summit meeting in Japan next month will seriously consider the World Food Summit's measured approach to biofuels and agree on the continued need to advance the world's biofuels industry…"

To be fair to the UN FAO, the focus of the summit and its report was on how to best help small farmers in the developing world so biofuels was only a part of the picture. Still, the conclusion on biofuels did nobody - including struggling farmers - any good.

For a resaonable and in-depth study of the subject, try The right to food and the impact of liquid biofuels (agrofuels) by Asbjorn Eide, a presentation at the Rome summit.

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Biofuels industries pleased by U.N. summit resolution
June 5, 2008 (Reuters)
and
Food Summit calls for more investment in agriculture; Poor countries need special assistance to weather food price shocks
6 June 2008 (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)

WHO
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO); Organization for Economic Development (OECD); AGROfuel industry associations (U.S. Renewable Fuels Association (USRFA), Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA), European Bioethanol Fuel Association (EUBFA))

WHAT
On the subject of AGROfuels, the summit’s report calls for further study. It’s larger context is a call for more assistance to struggling farmers in the developing world.

WHEN
- The summit was held June 2 through 5. The report was released June 5.
- Food prices increases have tracked the rise in AGROfuels production and the rise in oil prices over the last 3 to 5 years.

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WHERE
- The summit was in Rome.
- The world’s leading AGROfuels producers are the U.S. and Brazil. AGRO fuels is an important growth industry in Malaysia and Indonesia.

WHY
- The Bush administration and other biofuels allies argue that rising food prices are attributable to rising oil prices. The argument is that the higher cost of food comes from the higher cost of transporting it.
- Pressure from the Bush administration and their allies resulted in report language like a reference to the “challenges and opportunities” of AGROfuels.

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QUOTES
- AGROfuels associations joint statement: "We welcome today's UN FAO proposal to undertake further study of biofuels in agriculture. We are confident it will underscore the valuable contribution biofuels can make to ease the energy and agriculture challenges confronting all nations…"
- UN FAO report: "We are convinced that in-depth studies are necessary to ensure that production and use of biofuels is sustainable…"