Scramble for biofuel as oil prices rise ‘could push world closer to food crisis’
Experts say increased use of crops for fuel is ‘dangerous game’ that could send food price inflation soaring Demand for biofuels is likely to leap by nearly a third this year, which could send food price inflation soaring further and push the world closer to a global food crisis
Experts say increased use of crops for fuel is ‘dangerous game’ that could send food price inflation soaring
Demand for biofuels is likely to leap by nearly a third this year, which could send food price inflation soaring further and push the world closer to a global food crisis .
More countries are opting to increase biofuel use as the price of oil has jumped to nearly $100 a barrel after the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the closure of the strait of Hormuz.
The US, Indonesia, Brazil , Thailand and others have sought to increase the amount of biofuel – made from a wide variety of organic matter – blended with fossil fuels. Demand for biofuels could increase by 70% by 2030 if oil supplies remain constrained, the Transport & Environment (T&E) thinktank has estimated .
Fertiliser supply has also been constrained by the war and prices have soared, leading to rises in the price of staple foods for some of the poorest people in many parts of the world. Experts have warned the world could already be heading for a food crisis .
Kädi Ristkok, the energy and climate director at T&E, said biofuels would add to the pressure: “Governments are playing a dangerous game by promoting food for fuel,. Leaders are understandably trying to find solutions to the current oil crisis, but biofuels can never play more than a marginal role in our energy system without devastating consequences. The unintended impacts on food prices and the environment are enormous. Instead of feeding cars, governments must pursue more sustainable options like electrification.”
Biofuels compete with food crops for land, while globally about one in every 20 tonnes of fertiliser is used to produce crops for fuel. In some countries it is a lot more: a tenth of fertiliser use in the US is for biofuels, and a fifth in Indonesia. “The more crops we burn, the more fertilisers we will need,” said Ristkok.
Biofuels, from oil-bearing crops and grains , supply about 4% of the world’s transport energy demand. If countries go ahead with plans to incease biofuel use that would rise to about 6%, according to T&E’s estimates. Expanding biofuel production without competing with food crops for land and fertiliser would be difficult to achieve, according to the analysis, and reaching 20% of global road fuel coming from biofuels would require an area the size of South Africa.
