The United Nations Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2008 (UNESCAP) said that “higher food prices will most hurt the urban poor and the rural poor who are net food consumers, for whom food is usually the biggest expenditure item. ” But the report said that biofuels can produce income benefits for farmers, jobs, and hold down oil prices. Of the world’s 50 poorest countries, 38 are net importers of petroleum and 25 import all their petroleum, according to the report. The report also highlights the potential of second-generation biofuels including cellulosic ethanol, jatropha-based biodiesel.
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