EU proposal would limit use of crop-based biofuels

EurActiv reported that the European Union planned to introduce draft legislation that would impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climate-friendly than initially thought and compete with food production.

In a briefing issued on the 17 September 2012 called 'The hunger grains' Oxfam said that land used to power European cars with biofuels for one year could produce enough wheat and maize to feed 127 million people.

• Primary Source

ESO: Key Source: Renewable energy: Biofuels and other renewable energy in the transport sector http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-renewable-energy-biofuels/

ESO: Background information: Website: An EU Strategy for Biofuels http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-an-eu-strategy-for-biofuels/

EurActiv, 13.9.12: Paris backs halt in biofuel use to avert food shortages http://www.euractiv.com/cap/paris-backs-halt-biofuel-use-ave-news-514774

The Guardian, 17.9.12: European biofuel targets contributing to global hunger, says Oxfam http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2012/sep/17/european-biofuel-targets-contributing-global-hunger?newsfeed=true

Oxfam: Briefing Paper, No,161, September 2012: The Hunger Grains. The fight is on. Time to scrap EU biofuel mandates. http://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/oxfam/bitstream/10546/242997/1/bp161-the-hunger-grains-170912-en.pdf

EurActiv, 20.9.12: OECD agriculture official urges end to biofuel mandates http://www.euractiv.com/cap/oecd-news-514884

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