EU – group calls for end to use of food crops in biofuels to enhance global food security.
A campaign group has called for an end to the use of food crops in biofuels.
Transport & Environment (T&E) says Europe burns the equivalent of 15 million loaves of bread every day in cars, and claims ending this practice would replace more than 20% of the grain lost because of the collapse of Ukraine’s production, and disruption in Russia.
The Brussels-based NGO says 10,000 tonnes of wheat are burnt every day in biofuels in Europe and it argues that the calls to increase the use of biofuels because of the spike in oil prices are “immoral”.
Maik Marahrens, Biofuels manager at T&E said:
Every year we burn millions of tonnes of wheat and other vital grains to power our cars.
“This is unacceptable in the face of a global food crisis. Governments must urgently stop the burning of food crops in cars to reduce pressure on critical supplies.”
The organisation argues that diverting the cereals to use as food could save lives in countries such as Egypt which rely heavily on imported grains for their food supplies.
It says that even if Europe were to double the amount of farmland it dedicates to biofuels – equivalent to at least 10% of the EU’s farmland for crops – this would replace just 7% of the EU’s imports of oil from Russia.
To replace all Russian oil imports with home-grown biofuels would need at least two-thirds of the bloc’s farmland for crops.
Mr Marahrens added: “The biofuels industry is stepping up its lobbying efforts to push for more grains like wheat and corn to replace Russian oil. In doing so it is cynically taking advantage of people’s concerns over fuel prices, putting profit over food security. This is immoral while millions of people around the world cannot afford even a loaf of bread.”
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Campaign group calls for end to use of food crops in biofuels, March 24, 2022
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