Darling calls for urgent review of biofuel policies

Alistair Darling has demanded an urgent review of international biofuel programmes as part of a plan to tackle the world’s mounting food crisis. The Chancellor said he had asked the World Bank to produce an analysis – for June’s G7 meeting of global leaders – on the impact of green policies, including America and Europe’s biofuel programmes, on global food shortages.

‘This is an urgent problem,’ said Darling, who was speaking in Washington at a meeting of G7 leaders. ‘People across the world will say, “Why didn’t you see this coming?” when it is staring us in the face. We have got to take action.’
Darling added that the problem was also hitting Britain’s shoppers. ‘People can see the price of bread has gone up in the shops’, he said. ‘For the first time in a generation we are seeing inflationary pressures that are not home-grown but are being imported. Food prices are rising. Energy prices are rising. Commodity prices are rising.’

Darling said there was an urgent need to provide developing countries with the infrastructure to enable them to grow more food and urged a speedy conclusion of global trade talks, which he said would open up markets and reduce subsidies.

Guardian