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Biofuels and Food Security – Implications of an accelerated biofuels production

A seminal study commissioned by OFID and prepared by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) concludes that the use of first-generation biofuels will increase food insecurity in the world’s poorest countries and is unlikely to deliver any significant greenhouse gas mitigation benefit for at least 30 years.

The study reviews the global status of biofuels development, policy regimes and support measures and quantifies the agro-ecological potential of first- and second-generation biofuels crops. It presents a comprehensive evaluation of the social, environmental and economic implications of biofuels development on transport fuel security, greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural process, food security, land use change and sustainable agricultural development.

In a statement, OFID Director-General, Suleiman J. Al-Herbish said that the study did not support the notion that the development of biofuels would result in increased rural development: “On the contrary, it indicates only a modest increase in income for farmers in developing countries, and when this is balanced against the increasing cost of food, it is not the anticipated win-win situation,” he stressed.

The study emphasizes, however, that there is substantial potential for the commercial production of second-generation biofuels feedstocks in tropical grasslands and woodlands. This offers opportunities to develop innovative and mutually beneficial private sector and local community partnerships that would combine biofuels production for the market with food production by and for the local community. Such partnerships would have to be well designed, monitored and legally binding to minimize social and economic risks of exploitation.

Al-Herbish, describes the research as “a valuable contribution to the ongoing discussions about climate change mitigation and, in particular, OFID’s concern to ensure that the interests of developing countries are considered, as nations work together to address the co-dependent issues of food security, energy security, rural development and climate change.”

Click here to read the full report. See also press release 14/2009.