Food or fuel conflict needs attention as biofuel production increases
Food prices have generally been declining since WWII, but the tortilla protests in Mexico last month could be the first sign of a reversal. And biofuels appear to the be number one culprit, or at least critics are going to keep an eye on how much food is being used to feed refineries.
Tens of thousands of Mexicans protested when tortilla prices tripled, hurting the country's poor people.
Experts believe farmers can raise crop production as needed, so the current price hikes may be temporary.
Developing nations are also driving up food prices. As more Chinese reach middle-class status, they prefer to eat more meat. That means additional grain must be grown to feed livestock. China also wants to be more self-sufficient in fuel, so the country is expanding its biofuel production. Again, competition over food stock is driving up prices, and the poor will suffer the most.
One group says that biofuels could be benefits to the poor if low-income countries can develop biocrops.
But on the immediate front, food supplies to poor nations might be in doubt. Food donations have usually fluctuated with prices, so relief organizations are bracing for a shortfall.
Related:
[Source: Ruth Gidley / checkbiotech.org]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Howard Lee Harkness 2:16PM (2/26/2007)
"Tens of thousands of Mexicans protested when tortilla prices tripled, hurting the country's poor people."
And, as pointed out by another poster when this same "factoid" was mentioned in a prior article, this has absolutely nothing to do with biofuel production, and everything to do with a corrupt government.
Reply
1985 Gripen 4:18PM (2/26/2007)
If you keep repeating the same false information does it suddenly become true?
Why don't you take a look at the comments left at the post you're referencing regarding tortilla prices in Mexico and you'll notice even a cursory evaluation of the argument that the use of corn for biofuel is raising prices of tortillas in Mexico met with some very basic common sense doesn't jive.
The prices have gone UP in MEXICO so much (they don't use their corn for biofuel there in any kind of significant amounts) that they're having to import CHEAPER corn from the U.S. (where it IS used for biofuel) to bring down the price. The demand exceeding the supply in Mexico is what's driving the price up.
How this could either be the U.S.'s fault or how biofuel supposedly has raised the price of corn in Mexico is beyond me. Instead of believing the first article you read from some crackpot in Mexico who's writing a book on the tortilla industry, how about we evaluate things to see if the argument even MAKES SENSE?
Reply