The Lisbon Treaty clearly defines the reduction and eradication of poverty as the central policy objective of EU’s development cooperation. This objective has to be respected whenever the EU implements policies that may affect the developing countries.
An energy policy based on environmental sustainability, competitiveness, security of supply and clearly supportive of renewable energy, including biofuels, must incorporate a strong concern in relation to food security of populations.
Despite the guidelines that the production of biofuels should be based on
sustainability criteria, and the assumption that biofuels can encourage an
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increase in the agricultural productivity of other countries, increase manpow- er and enhance strategies of poverty reduction, studies show that an increase in the production of biofuels will surely result in replacing the production of food, which could lead to an increase in global food prices, thus increasing the potential shock to the producers and consumers in developing countries.
Currently, 120 million tonnes of cereals for human consumption have been diverted to fuel production and according to the NGO ActionAid, “if all global biofuel targets are achieved, food prices may increase by 76% and 600 million people may be hungry.” The collective efforts to eradicate poverty are likely to be threatened by the global reckless race to biofuels, whose production is largely subsidised. The equation involving the production of biofuels, the investing in commodities and natural disasters that set the price of food in the world has an impact on the fragile food security of some developing countries, especially in Africa.
For the environment, concerns arising from the massive use of biofuels are also evident. The recent European strategy for assessing the impact of biofuels is very optimistic to say that the objective of 10% of biofuels should not encourage the destruction of land rich in biodiversity, of areas designated for nature protection, or the protection of rare species or ecosystems. According to the European Agency for the Environment, “the arable land necessary for the EU to meet its target of 10% exceeds the available area.” The result of the increase in biofuel production is growing pressure on soil, water and biodiver- sity. In face of these scenarios, there are serious concerns that, due to the lack of monitoring in some countries, the production of biofuels does not respect minimum environmental and social requirements.
The production of biofuels only makes sense in places where there are biocli- matic conditions, land availability and process efficiencies that do not conflict with the agricultural production of food and the loss of biodiversity.
To sustain its energy strategy, the EU needs to invest strongly in research, production and availability of second-generation biofuels (which will not enter the market before 2015-2020), which can represent an environmentally viable alternative to the economic development of poor countries.
ConClusIon
In order to be aware of the benefits to developing countries, the EU must find
a balance between their policies. The EU should abolish their taxes and
subsidies on biofuels so that developing countries benefit from new export
opportunities. On the other hand, should ensure sustainable and socially
responsible production methods in those countries. The focus on second-gen-
eration biofuels should be strongly encouraged, since it may allow developing
the agricultural sector in developing countries and make it more productive
and better integrated in world markets. For the success of this strategy, it is
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essential that developing countries are immediately involved in the process, to
avoid mistakes made in the development of first generation biofuels. Interna-
tional sustainability standards for biomass production should be strength-
ened, as well as the certification of fuels in order to ensure compliance with
social and environmental standards. It is essential to address the challenges
and opportunities resulting from biofuels in the global perspective of food
security, energy and sustainable development needs. The sustainable use of
bioenergy requires a balance among many factors that must be achieved at
local, national and international level. Energy efficiency has to be seen as an
inherent need to Development and Sustainable Growth.
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• The European Union must ensure that their energy policy will not harm the food security of poor people in developing countries, whose daily survival is threatened by rising food prices and review its goal of using biofuels.
• The EU should abolish domestic subsidies and import tariffs for biofuels, in order to allow developing countries to profit from the opportunities for trade in biofuels. Fuel subsidies tend to be regres- sive and expensive.
• The European Union should develop comprehensive sustainability criteria for biofuels, including the most ambitious standards for reducing greenhouse gases and greater protection of biodiversity and ecosystems rich in carbon.
• The European Commission should ensure compliance with social criteria, to ensure that rural populations are not affected by the expansion of agricultural production.
• The European Union should encourage local processing of the use of sustainable biofuels in developing countries. Cooperatives of small farmers should be encouraged to prevent that benefits of biofuel production are captured by large producers.
• In order to ensure that biofuel production contributes to poverty and hunger reduction, policies adopted in developing countries should strengthen the participation of small farmers in biofuel production, increasing their access to land, capital and technology.
• The EU should invest strongly in research, production and offer of second generation biofuels, which can represent an environmentally viable alternative to the economic development of poor countries.
• A fair biofuels policy should be consistent, and if possible help promote gender equality and women empowerment. To achieve this, measures should be taken to ensure that women and female bread- winners have the same opportunity as men and male breadwinners to participate in and benefit from the production of liquid biofuels.
• Social and environmental sustainability of biofuel production should be pursued through na integrated and coherent approach to develop- ment policies.
WhAT neeDs To be Done?
september 2011
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Notes
1 This study was presented by the Evert Vermeer Foundation in the spring of 2009, and then translated and adapted to the Portuguese context by IMVF.
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