Global Rush to Energy Crops Threatens to Bring Food Shortages and Increase Poverty, Says UN

No one denies that there are benefits when a country adopts biofuel to supplement oil as a source of energy. But while production of biofuels could help stabilize oil prices and create new markets, the poor could also experience higher commodity prices. Not surprisingly a recent UN report warns governments to take into consideration the human and environmental impacts, which could have dire consequences. The report points out that forests are already being cleared to create new lands for energy crops, and this could have negative consequences for the climate, and also certain species of animals. Furthermore, should energy crops start taking the best lands, global food prices could increase. The report also explains how small farmers will most likely become the victims as larger corporations enter the energy crop economy. So according to Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environmental program, while biofuels can provide us with the opportunity to address climate change, energy security and rural development, careful planning needs to be undertaken to make sure that they do not create new environmental and social problems. – YaleGlobal