ARGENTINA: The Environmental Costs of Biofuel

The passage of a law on biofuels in Argentina is both good and bad news for sustainable development. While the new law will foment the production and use of alternative sources of fuel, it will also give a boost to soybean production, which has come in for harsh criticism from environmentalists.

After two years of debate, the Argentine Senate approved on Wednesday a bill that will grant tax incentives to the producers of biofuels while guaranteeing them a share of the market for 15 years. However, the new law is less generous than the original version of the bill, which was submitted in 2004 by biofuel proponents.

IPS