Biofuel boom 'threatens world's food supplies'

Biofuel boom 'threatens world's food supplies'
Posted Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:22am AEDT

The head of Nestle, the world's biggest food and beverage company, warns that growing use of crops such as wheat and corn to make biofuels is putting world food supplies in peril.

"If as predicted we look to use biofuels to satisfy 20 per cent of the growing demand for oil products, there will be nothing left to eat," chairman and chief executive Peter Brabeck-Letmathe said.

"To grant enormous subsidies for biofuel production is morally unacceptable and irresponsible," he told the Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag.

While the competition is driving up the price of maize, soya and wheat, land for cultivation is becoming rare and water sources are also under threat, Mr Brabeck said.
His remarks echoed concerns raised by the United Nations' independent expert on the right to food, Jean Ziegler.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly last year, Mr Ziegler called for a five-year moratorium on all initiatives to develop biofuels in order to avert what he said might be "horrible" food shortages.

Diplomats from countries pursuing such fuels, such as Brazil and Colombia, disagreed with his forecast.

We have to give ex president Fidel castro his due.He predicted that the use of corn and wheat to produce bio-fuel will be disastrous for the poor countries of the world.The man is really one of the most able heads of state of his generation.One doesn't have to partake his political philosophy to recognize his great intellect.

Although at the time of his prediction I did not agree with him.Today I must admit he is right.

Sanmalis,
Se ou mwen te sonje ki fè m poste atik saa.
Sa pran yon gran nèg pou yon Ayisyen rekonèt erè l.

Se pou rezon sa a menm ke mwen de ti Sans Malice pa janmè panse pou mete Ayiti sou lis pou pwodwi etanòl.

Mwen sonje sa tou Thunder.
Se pa pou nou kouri al fè bagay ki pa bon pou nou.

Sassaye ou kon poukisa mwen te di mwen pa dakò ak Fidel paske bresilyen reyalise biofuel ak po kann ak gwo mestiyen.ki sa nou fè ak po kann apre ke nou finn pran ji kann lan?kisa nou fè ak gwo mestiyen?nan pwoblem ethanol l yo di li koute pi chè pou pwodwil ke li bay avantaj,men mwen pa kwè ke se ethanol li menm ki koze cherte saa. se pito youn movez planifikatyon,se tankou tout bagay depi offre la ak demann la pa balanse e byen pri ogmante.Anvan gouvenman yo te komanse itlise mayi ya pou fabrike ethanol fok yo te ogmante pwodiktyon mayi an 4 fwa plis.e se pa youn bagay ki enposib non.

de tout manyè fok nou resoud pwoblem enerji a an ayiti.si se pa sa nap sote an plas san nou pa fè youn pa an avan.Paske lwil la se kontinye li ap kontinye monte.nan 10 zan li pase de 10 dola a 100 dola k les ki di nan 10 zan anko li pap vann a 200dolla baril lè saa kisa nou pral fè ankò deboulonnen youn lot premye Minis?