A Crime Against Humanity
Edit: Massive production of biofuels is “a crime against humanity” because of its impact on global food prices, a UN official said yesterday on German radio. Read The Peninsular, Qatar's Leading English Daily EU defends biofuel goals amid food crisis for the whole report.
Sometimes I read an article and am just
stunned by disbelief. Such an article is in the Financial Times of
April 27 2008 discussing the benefits of Europe’s Common
Agricultural Policy. There is no mention that it is this very policy
that has destroyed the livelihoods of many African farmers through
the dumping of surplus food below African production costs, no
mention of the fishing policy that has vacuumed fish off the West
African coast destroying local fishing industries, no mention that
much of the increase in world food prices is caused by EU Bio fuel
directives, as well as the USA bio fuel requirements. No – this is
all about posturing as we approach a renegotiation of the EU budget
in 2013 – main recipient – France, main contributor – Britain. Read more at EUReferendum's The debate goes on without us
From the FT's article:
Africa and Latin America should adopt their own versions of Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy as a response to rising demand for food, according to Michel Barnier, France’s farm minister.
While critics of the CAP prepare to use surging food prices and threats of shortages to seek freer trade in agriculture, Mr Barnier told the Financial Times that, on the contrary, the developing world should draw inspiration from Europe and form self-sufficient regional agricultural blocs funded with a redirection of development aid.
Mr Barnier, a former French foreign minister, ex-EU commissioner and member of the governing centre-right UMP party, said he would not allow Europe’s system of subsidies and barriers to trade to take the blame for “disorder” surrounding the commodities spike in prices and associated unrest in some countries.
“What we are now witnessing in the world is the consequence of too much free-market liberalism,” he said. “We can’t leave feeding people to the mercy of the market. We need a public policy, a means of intervention and stabilisation.
“I think [the CAP] is a good model. It is a policy that allows us to produce to feed ourselves. We pool our resources to support production. West Africa, East Africa, Latin America and the southern shore of the Mediterranean all need regional common agricultural policies.”
Cartoons from The Anglo Saxon Chronicle
At least the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations does appear to recognise that biofuels have a part to play in this crisis
The issue of food prices will be discussed on June 3-5 when world leaders meet in Rome at FAO’s invitation to attend a High Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy.
But for an in depth analysis EUReferendum's The real crisis has yet to come (Part 2) is essential reading.
