G20 ag ministers reject link of biofuels to food price volatility

In Belgium, ePURE, the voice of European ethanol producers, has welcomed the decision by G20 Agriculture ministers to maintain support for biofuels policies at the G20 meeting in Paris. In May a policy report prepared for the G20 meeting by the UN FAO and OECD had recommended that G20 countries remove support for biofuels subsidies or mandates in order to alleviate food price volatility. The “Action Plan on Food Price Volatility and Agriculture” agreed today by the G20 Agriculture ministers recognizes the vital role of biofuels in “reduction of greenhouse gases, energy security and rural development” and said that there was not enough evidence to link biofuels to food price volatility.