South American leaders denounce biofuels

Two South American Presidents have warned of the increasing impact the push for biofuels is having on their respective countries, indicating that the growth of such crops to use as fuel is affecting the world's poorest people.

Speaking at the UN in New York, Bolivian President Evo Morales and President Alan Garcia of Peru said that increasing use of agriculture to produce biocrops was endangering food production for the world's most vulnerable people.

The EU has set a target of 10% of fuel from crops by 2020, while the UK recently introduced 2.5% bioethanol derived from crops to petrol sold across the country. The US too is pursuing a strategy to increase biofuel consumption.

But with food-crop land being turned over to biofuel production, and with carbon sinks such as rainforests cleared for biofuel production, the green credentials of such crops are coming under increased scrutiny and criticism.

As a result, food prices - especially wheat - around the world have shot up, as less food is produced.

Bolivia's Morales indicated that he believed other South American countries were acting irresponsibly in relation to biofuel production.

"Some South American presidents who were talking about biofuels but did not understand what they were talking about," said Morales.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva recently said he believed that developing countries have enough land to produce both food and biofuels.

Peru's President Garcia said the demand for bio-fuels was putting world food production under threat.

"We believe there are alternative energies that do not put the world's food in danger," said Garcia on the prevalence of biofuels.

• Meanwhile GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner has claimed that United Nations research that links biofuel production to rising food prices is “shockingly misinformed”.

“If you look at what’s causing higher biofuel prices, the cost of corn is a very small part of that,” Mr Wagoner said at the Beijing Show.

UK Prime Minster Gordon Brown has also voiced concerns about the rising use of biofuels and their impact on food production.

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