Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 1/29/15


The World Resources Institute has published a new working paper that says if crops such as corn, sugar cane or vegetable oils were used for food rather than for fuel, the world’s food needs would be largely met.

Called “Avoiding Bioenergy Competition for Food Crops and Land,” the paper notes that “phasing out the use of crop-based biofuelds” … is “a potent strategy for sustainably meeting future food needs.”

Authors Tim Searchinger and Ralph Heimlich say that biofuels made from what is essentially waste product, such as forest and agriculture residues, leftover municipal waste and methane gas captured from landfills, are functional without setting up competition for food production. On the other hand, the tremendous political support for other types of biofuels from corn and the like benefit from what is a double-counting of its benefits.

The authors note that estimates are that food production must rise by 70 percent by 2050, but that "[i]f crop-based biofuels were phased out, the 2050 crop calorie gap would decrease from 70 percent to about 60 percent, a significant step toward a sustainable food future."

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.