A leaked World Bank report pins biofuel production as the main cause for the rising food prices, which are obviously hitting the poor countries the hardest. The story is covered extensively in world media as well as Finnish media, so you probably have already seen it. The main point is that:
Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% – far more than previously estimated
[...]
The figure emphatically contradicts the US government’s claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises.
However, I think the main point is more appropriately captured by this photo, the original author of which I unfortunately don’t know:
Just think about that next time you fill up and whine about the gas prices. Or if you represent a company in the biofuels business, you may want to think again whether promoting 1st generation biofuels is all that great after all, as I pointed out just a couple of posts ago.
Of course, none of this is news to those keeping an eye of what’s been happening. It has for years been known that 1st generation biofuels compete with food production. In essence it puts the person filling up the tank of his or her car in direct competition with some of the poor people in the world buying food to feed themselves.
It will not be – and is not – a pretty situation for the poorer counterpart.
