Biofuels

They've been championed as a solution to climate change. But these so-called ‘green fuels’ are doing far more harm than good. Worst of all, demand for biofuels is deepening poverty.

Food not fuel

The world is in the middle of a World Food Crisis. The cost of basic foods are at record levels, and biofuels are in part to blame:

• Global demand for biofuels is forcing crops, which could be used for food, out of production.
• About 30 per cent of food price increases are due to the demand for biofuels. This means that biofuels may already be responsible for dragging 30 million people into poverty and costing poor countries nearly $100 billion in increased food bills.

The ‘green’ con

Though they’ve been touted as ‘green’, biofuel production requires vast amounts of land to be cleared, often leading to the destruction of wetlands and rainforest that naturally absorb carbon. Rather than reducing emissions, clearing land to grow biofuels actually releases massive amounts of CO.

There are far easier, cheaper and safer ways to tackle climate change and reduce dependency on oil.

A tank full of poverty

Despite the huge problems with biofuels, the European Union is considering introducing laws forcing fuel suppliers to meet targets for blending biofuels with petrol and diesel.

The legislation means that motorists would have no choice but to fill their cars with fuel that is harming poor people and making climate change worse.

Human rights abuses

As rich nations scramble to meet targets for biofuel production, the rights of poor people are getting trampled on. There are many examples of biofuels production leading to ‘land-grabs’, where poor people are forcibly removed or denied access to land essential to their livelihood.

Once people lose their land, they lose their livelihoods – driving them even deeper into poverty.

What needs to happen?

Biofuels need not spell disaster for poor countries. Biofuel production could be a valuable source of energy for those living in poverty. However, the right safeguards must be in place to protect poor people. Oxfam is demanding that:

• Rich country governments freeze all new biofuels targets and get rid of subsidies that divert food production into fuel;
• Stop turning to biofuels as a way of tackling climate change, and invest in alternatives, such as energy-efficient cars and public transport.

We’ve already seen a large number of people, including leading economists and scientists, speak out about the negative impacts of biofuels and some governments, including the UK, are even starting to question their use.

Oxfam will be piling the pressure on decision makers over the coming months to make sure that biofuel production doesn’t push poor people further into poverty.