A biannual IMF report on the world economy said that “The use of food as a source of fuel may have serious implications for the demand for food if the expansion of biofuels continues. One country’s policy to promote biofuels while protecting its farmers could increase another (likely poorer) country’s import bills for food and pose additional risks to inflation or growth.”
The report said that greater international cooperation on biofuel production was needed, and that eliminating barriers on biofuel imports in the US and the European Union would alleviate pressure on the cost of food.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released its "2008 State of Food and Agriculture" report, and noted critically that "The historic linkages between agriculture and the energy secto...
The United Nations Development Program called today for the elimination of the Brazilian ethanol tariff imposed by the US and Europe. The UNDP report said that Brazilian ethanol reduces greenhouse gas...
The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, has called for a review of land-use conversion by biofuel producers, in response to the global increase in food prices. Ban, who placed climate change at the top...
"The days of cheap food may be over," said Benjamin Senauer, co-director of the University of Minnesota's Food Industry Center. His remarks come as food prices rose in 2007 at double the typical infla...
In Washington, the president of the Earth Policy Institute said that 30 percent of the US corn crop will be used for ethanol in 2008 and will lead to price increases for food prices. Lester Brown told...
U.S. ethanol production capacity reached 7.5 billion gallons by the end of 2007, a 40 percent increase over 2006. National production capacity will increase to 13.3 billion gallons at 136 facilities i...
