Biofuel boom threatens food supplies: Nestle

[isilzha]

Biofuel boom threatens food supplies: Nestle

Sun Mar 23, 4:41 PM ET

Growing use of crops such as wheat and corn to make biofuels is putting world food supplies in peril, the head of Nestle, the world's biggest food and beverage company, warned Sunday.
"If as predicted we look to use biofuels to satisfy 20 percent 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.


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[Food Network Fan]

I'm telling ya they need to find a way to use grass. But then what will the animals eat???

[Chefnot]

I like that guy.

[isilzha]

Diverting food products to make biofuels is foolish: Indian finance chief

2 hours, 8 minutes ago


Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday criticised countries like the US for diverting farm products to produce biofuels, saying this had led to soaring global food prices.
While growing demand was one reason for skyrocketing food prices, the use of agricultural products to make biofuels was another cause, he told a public lecture organised by the Lee Kuan Yew School Public Policy in Singapore.
"It has been estimated that nearly 20 percent of corn grown in the United States is diverted for producing biofuels," he said in his speech to academics, students and diplomats.
"As citizens of the world, we ought to be concerned about the foolishness of growing food and diverting it into fuel."
Chidambaram slammed the "lopsided priorities of certain countries" that produce fuel at a cheaper cost to meet the transport needs of a certain section of their population even if it leads to higher food prices elsewhere.
The price of many food commodities has soared worldwide to record levels over the last year due to booming demand in fast-growing Asian countries as well as the increased use of biofuels.



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[isilzha]

There is a thing on History channel right now talking about using switchgrass (sp?) to make biofuel and how it is better than corn based fuel.

[Chefnot]

Hey, switch grass is good! Rabbits love it!

[Food Network Fan]

The rabbits can eat carrots if this works.

[ibcheft]

Their country must have oil wells, bio fuel is the way to go, and maybe finally the farmer will get the prices they deserve. If they need food, they ought to think about developing the farms over there to grow more. That is what we have been doing for years, yes I understand that their people need food but we already have so much waste of the food that is sent there for aid. We use to have a family farm but low crop prices and rising cost put it out of business, no longer could we see working the farm and others jobs to support it. So finally we just sold it all. For me go ahead criticize us, but when we are able to forgo your oil fuel and you have to buy our crops for a real price, then and only then will you think maybe they were not wrong.

[Chefnot]

Imho, bio-fuel is a misconceived idea, it will/has resulted in higher prices at the grocery store and obviously has had little impact at the pump.

Hi ibcheft, I come from a family farm as well, fourth generation here. I hold no grudge, just the way things turn out sometimes.