"Nichts mehr davon, ich bitt euch. Zu essen gebt ihm, zu wohnen.
Habt ihr die Blöße bedeckt, gibt sich die Würde von selbst."
Friedrich Schiller
  May 2008 FOOD
for PEACE

UN Official De Schutter: Stop All Biofuel Investments

Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council session on May 22, Olivier De Schutter, an independent UN expert, said new investments and subsidies favoring the production of biofuels should be frozen in an effort to curb food price rises. Such a move could send a strong signal that the price of food crops will not keep rising, and thus halt speculation, he added. Lyndon LaRouche's view is that nothing less than a global financial reorganization of the entire, manifestly bankrupt system, can put a stop to the hyperinflationary blowout.

De Schutter pointed to a study estimating that an extra 100 million hectares (247 million acres) of land would be needed in order for agrofuels to make up 5% of worldwide fuels by 2015, which would not be sustainable. U.S. plans to require fuel producers to use at least 36 billion gallons (136 billion liters) of biofuel in 2022 and an EU target of biofuels would be to meet 10% of transport energy demands by 2020.

"I have therefore proposed a freeze on all new investments and subsidies favouring the production of fuel by growing crops on arable and non-degraded lands, when such lands are suitable for the production of food crops."

On the right to food, De Schutter said it was essential that sub-Saharan African farmers get access to seeds and fertilizers before the end of the planting season in June to prepare for the next harvests."They need help. This is urgent. We must feed the hungry now, but we must also prevent famines from occurring tomorrow," he told the one-day talks.