The European Commission has stood by its proposals to cut the use of food-based biofuels. The plans to curb production were made in response to concerns that biofuels from crops suitable for food or feed are contributing to higher, more volatile food prices and reducing the overall amount of food available for a growing global population.

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There are also concerns that biofuels are no ‘greener’ than conventional fossil equivalents, despite the claims of the biofuel lobby. Two reports by the International Council on Clean Transportation  and Oxfam viewed by ministers at an energy meeting on Monday (17th September) revealed that current policy and targets relating to biofuel production risk causing increases in emissions.

On Monday, EU energy ministers announced plans to cut use of food based biofuels to 5 per cent of total fuel consumption. The EU aims to source 10 per cent of the bloc’s transport fuel from renewable sources by the end of the current decade, though without the use of biofuels this could prove to be a serious challenge. Commissioners said on Monday that their preference is for biofuels made from waste agricultural produce which do not compete with food or feed needs.

Last week, French prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault revealed France would push ahead with the measure, which sits alongside proposals made by the previous Sarkozy government during France’s presidency of the Group of 20 last year. France had attempted to curb biofuel production and financial speculation on food commodities.

Although the measures may have assuasive effects on food prices and availability in the short term, the use of non-edible crops in biofuel production is also causing concern due to indirect land use change; this is most severe in areas of the global south where large areas of land previously used for growing food have been turned over to cultivate cash crops.

Farming unions have reacted strongly to Monday’s announcement. NFU chief combinable crops adviser Guy Gagen responded to the proposals on Tuesday (18th September), “Biofuels represent the only realistic means of reducing Europe’s reliance on imported fuel and help address GHG emissions in the transport sector. The EC currently estimates that transport is responsible for about a quarter of the EU’s GHG emissions, yet abandoning biofuel production would ensure that dependence on fossil oils continues long into the next decade.

“The biofuel industry has been helping address the needs of both food and fuel through long term market stability, flexibility of cropping patterns and bio-refining to produce quality, high protein animal feed, for which the European Union has a 20 million tonne deficit each year.”

Nevertheless, anti-poverty and environmental organisations have welcomed the move. Clare Coffey, policy adviser at anti-poverty group ActionAid said, "Finally the European commissioners have come to their senses. They are firmly acknowledging that using precious food and agricultural land to fuel our cars is bad for people and bad for the environment. In a world where a billion go to bed hungry every night, that is immoral."

Natalia Alonso, head of Oxfam's EU office, urged commissioners to resist the influence of corporations which stood to benefit from the previous biofuels targets and were fighting against proposals to cap biofuel production. She said, "European governments and the European commission must not cave in to pressure from the biofuels industry. We cannot continue to burn food in our petrol tanks while poor families go hungry."

Before the formal transport policy is published the limitations on biofuel use will need to be ratified by the European parliament. A decision is expected in October.

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