Brussels, 25/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU continues to turn a blind eye to the fact that its policies promoting bio-fuels are leading to a hike in food prices throughout the world and forcing the populations of the developing countries off their land, according to a report published on Wednesday 25 April by the NGO ActionAid, which calls on the EU to reset the balance. According to this report, entitled “Fuel for thought”, the increase in demand for fuel may push food prices to crisis levels, and EU policies in the area could on their own lead to a 33% increase in oilseed prices, 22% for maize, 21% for sugar and 10% for wheat.
Given that Europe needs some 13-19 million hectares of land outside its borders to achieve its objectives, forced displacements of poor people are set to rise, to leave room to grow agro-fuels for the European market. The development NGO therefore calls on the European Commission to carry out in-depth investigations before the end of this year to evaluate all impacts of the EU''s policies in the field of bio-fuels on human rights and to remove its objective of 10% in transport by 2020, given that the vast majority of this objective (88%) would be achieved using first-generation bio-fuels.
“If it continues to ignore the impact of its bio-fuels policy on people living in some of the poorest parts of the planet, the EU will effectively be sponsoring hunger and human rights abuses on a massive scale”, warns Laura Sullivan of ActionAid.
To give just two examples, a British company seized 8,200 hectares of land in Tanzania to supply the European bio-fuel market, whilst in Guatemala, the grabbing of land for sugar production has resulted in violent clashes and three deaths.
This report comes at a timely moment, as the European Commission has been given the opportunity to revise the EU's objectives for bio-fuels in 2012. By virtue of the directive on renewable energies, the European Commission must present a report this year on the impact of its objectives in transport and propose corrective measures if required. The ActionAid report was presented at a debate with representatives of the Commission, the United Nations, NGOs and the industry. (AN/transl.fl)