Food summit fails to agree on biofuels

Julian Borger in Rome
The Guardian,
Friday June 6 2008

World leaders last night ended a summit on the global food crisis without an agreement on biofuels, leaving unadopted a plan to ensure the crops are not produced at the expense of the world's 850 million hungry.

A draft declaration warned that food prices would "remain high in the years to come" and called for "urgent and coordinated action" to alleviate the impact on the poor. However, the summit, convened to address "the challenges of climate change and bioenergy", had little to say about either.

In the face of US and Brazilian opposition to any review of ethanol production, there were only vague references to "the challenges and opportunities posed by biofuels". The declaration from the summit in Rome said: "We are convinced that in-depth studies are necessary to ensure that production and use of biofuels is sustainable."

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