Biofuels crushing the poor

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), July 5, 2008

"RUINOUS" agricultural policies forced on poor farmers by Western governments are a prime cause of the global food crisis, the charity Christian Aid said today.

Wealthy countries have subsidised food imports into poor countries forcing local producers out of business.

The food shortages now threaten 100 million people around the world with starvation.

The plea came as a separate leaked World Bank report suggested biofuels had forced food prices to rocket by 75%, contradicting claims by the US government.

The confidential World Bank study, details of which were seen by the Guardian, stated that the EU and US drive for biofuels has had by far the biggest impact on food supply and prices.

The US has claimed that biofuels, derived from crops such as corn, rapeseed, palm and soya, contribute less than 3% to food prices.

But the Guardian reported the World Bank study as stating: "Without the increase in biofuels, global wheat and maize stocks would not have declined appreciably and price increases due to other factors would have been moderate."