Brazilian President: biofuels do not force “a choice between food and energy…the problem with world hunger is not a shortage of food but a shortage of income.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva continued his global offensive on behalf of sugarcane ethanol and biofuels with an address at the UN summit on climate change. He strongly defended Brazil against accusations of poor environmental stewardship and the suggestion that biofuel production causes food shortages.

He has pointed out that only 20 percent of arable land in Brazil is currently under cultivation and less than 4% is used for ethanol. “This is not a choice between food and energy,” he said. “The problem with world hunger is not a shortage of food but a shortage of income.” Lula has pointed out that biofuel industry creates higher paying jobs than traditional agriculture. “When we think about ethanol, we think about helping the poor, helping countries like ours out of poverty,” he said.

However, critics point out that while sugar cane workers make $1.35 per hour, twice the wages of other agricultural workers, 312 sugar cane or ethanol workers died on the job between 2022 and 2005, and nearly 83,000 suffered on the job accidents.

Oil and natural gas producers Venezuela and Bolivia have criticized ethanol production for increasing food prices and world hunger. Bolivia, Venezuela and Cuba are supporting a draft report by the UN special rapporteur on the Right to Food, calling for a five-year moratorium on ethanol production produced from sugar cane that is expected to be debated in the UN General Assembly and cause Brazil considerable embarassment.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Petrobras cricizes US ethanol tariff, disgarees with Lula about effect of biofuels on food availability

In Brazil, the head of Petrobras, the Brazilian state oil company, said the United States should eliminate or reduce the tariff on ethanol imports because US use of corn for ethanol was driving up wor...

UN Food and Agriculture Organization says 40 nations face “critical” food shortage as effect of climate change, crop failure, war and biofuels are felt

The UN FAO released a report saying that 40 nations face critical food shortages, for reasons including climate change, higher meat consumption in developing countries, crop failure, war, and diversio...

UN FAO Food Summit teeters towards stalemate

At the UN Food Summit in Rome, "Everyone complained about other people’s protectionism — and defended their own," according to the New York Times. The emergency gathering of world leaders teetere...

20-year study by Informa Economics exonerates ethanol for having serious impact on food prices

In Tennessee, the research company Informa Economics released a 20-year study exonerating ethanol for having a serous impact on food price rises. The food vs. fuel controversy was named one of this...

Volvo truck demo nearly derailed due to European biodiesel shortage

In Belgium, a planned demonstration of seven Volvo trucks using different biodiesel blends was nearly ruined when the company could not find any available biodiesel. The company eventually found one g...

Industrial encroachment causes China to cancel reforestation, fearing food shortage

In China, the national government has suspended a program to reforest marginal lands because of increasing concerns over food production. Deputy head of the ministry of land and resources, Lu Xinshe, ...