Food versus fuel in the Philippines
By Jet Hermida on Jul 16, 2008 in Agriculture and Globalization, Farm Technology, Food Security, News Clippings, Sustainable Agriculture
HungerWednesday features this interesting article from PANOS that furthers the discussion on the effects of commercial scale biofuel cultivation to food security.
7 March 2008 | Imelda Abano
The Philippine government wants farmers to plant crops for biofuels on a vast scale. But could the quest for green energy create food shortages?
Growing world energy demand, the insecurity of long-term supply and the consequences of fossil fuel use for climate change are driving governments to look for alternatives. To meet rising energy needs, many countries are promoting the production and use of biofuels – energy extracted as a gas, liquid or oil from plants.
Derived from food crops such as corn, sugarcane, soybean, oil palm and sugarbeet, biofuel production has been on the rise in recent years. It is seen by many as a clean form of energy in an era of soaring oil prices and concerns over carbon emissions.
read more on how the quest for green energy can create food shortages…
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