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US attacked at food summit
over biofuels
Julian Borger
London
Guardian
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The US came under intense criticism yesterday for its policy
of promoting biofuels, which a senior UN official claimed was
diverting food away from the hungry "to satisfy a thirst
for fuel for vehicles".
The biofuel issue quickly emerged as the most contentious at
a summit on the global food crisis being held in Rome. American
claims that its subsidies for the production of corn ethanol were
not playing a significant role in sharp increases in the price
of food triggered an angry response during a closed-door meeting,
and was contradicted by UN figures.
The issue will be debated at a round table session today, where
an official of the food and agriculture organisation (FAO) predicted
"sparks will fly".
Opening the summit the UN's secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said
that to meet global food demand, production would have to increase
by 50% by 2030.
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There was general agreement that more food aid was needed in
the short run, and more investment in agriculture in the long
run, especially in Africa. But it was less clear who, if anyone,
would pay the estimated annual cost of $30bn (£15bn) to
meet the UN's goal.
The summit, called to address the sudden rise in global food
prices and the consequent political instability, also exposed
deep divisions over biofuels.
The summit's host Jacques Diouf, director general of the FAO,
attacked western policies, targeting the US in particular. "Nobody
understands how 11 to 12 billion dollar a year subsidies in 2006
and protective tariff polices have had the effect of diverting
100m tonnes of cereals from human consumption, mostly to satisfy
a thirst for fuel for vehicles," Diouf said. He was referring
to the annual cost of US subsidies to produce ethanol from corn.
Ed Schafer, the US agriculture secretary, responded to Diouf's
speech, saying: "I thought his examples were a little critical
and could have handled in a calmer and nicer manner." Schafer
said the production of biofuels contributed less than 3% to the
recent rapid rises in food prices but that assertion clashed with
estimates by the International Monetary Fund, that they are responsible
for 20-30% of the price rises.
Full
article here.
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