April 22, 2008
Bangkok - Biofuels which were once seen as a key factor in dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, are said to currently cause the global food crisis, according to the International Energy Forum.
Agricultural product prices are not only driven by rising demand, but also by increasing cultivation of biofuels.
Biofuels were developed as part of plans to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and held responsible for global warming.
But since they take up land that would otherwise be used for food production, they have been increasingly blamed for soaring food prices.
Qatari Energy Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah argued that high oil prices were not behind the food crisis.
"It's not oil that should be questioned, it's biofuels, which are at the root of the problem," al Attiyah said.
He said the world would have to choose "what its priority is going to be -- driving or eating."
"Even the big rice exporters such as India, Bangladesh and Thailand are in the process of reducing their exports.”
The International Energy Agency (IEA) also claimed that rising food prices are due primarily to "very strong demand" for agricultural products in emerging countries.
The International Energy Forum took place in Rome, Italy.
