The Environmental Food Crisis

BIOFUELS AND COTTON – SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS TO INCREASE INCOMES OR THREAT TO BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD PRODUCTION?

Biofuels have grown quickly in demand and production (Figure 14), fuelled by high oil prices and the initial perception of their role in reducing CO 2 emissions (FAO, 2008). Biofuels, includ- ing biodiesel from palm oil and ethanol from sugarcane, corn and soybean, accounted for about 1% of the total road trans- port in 2005, and may reach 25% by 2050, with the EU having set targets as high as 10% by 2020 (World Bank, 2007; FAO, 2008). For many countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, biofuels are also seen as an opportunity to improve rural liveli- hoods and boost the economy through exports (Fitzherbert et al ., 2008; UNEP, 2008). The US is the largest producer and consumer of bioethanol, followed by Brazil (Figure 15) (World

Bank, 2007; FAO, 2008). Brazil has now used 2.7 million ha of land area for this production (4.5% of the cropland area), mainly sugar cane. While biofuels are a potential low-carbon energy source, the conversion of rainforests, peatlands, savannas, or grasslands to produce biofuels in the US, Brazil and Southeast Asia may cre- ate a “biofuel carbon debt” by releasing 17 to 420 times more CO 2 than the annual greenhouse gas reductions that these bio- fuels would provide by displacing fossil fuels (Fargione et al ., 2008; Searchinger et al ., 2008). Corn-based ethanol, instead of producing a 20% savings, will nearly double greenhouse emis-

World biofuels production, 2005 (million liters of fuel)

USA

Brazil

World biofuels annual production (million liters of fuel)

15 000

40 000

30 000

Ethanol Biodiesel

10 000

Other countries

20 000

5 000

China

Ethanol

10 000

India France

Russia

Biodiesel

0

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 0 Figure 14: The production of biodiesel and ethanol has increased substantially in recent years. (Source: Earth Policy Institute, 2006).

Figure 15: United States and Brazil are among the greatest pro- ducers of biofuels today. (Source: Earth Policy Institute, 2006).

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