By Raj Patel and Eric Holt-Giménez

It was just a matter of time… and not long at that. The world food crisis and the explosion of “food riots” across the globe has been turned into an opportunity. By whom? By the same institutions that created the conditions for the crisis in the first place: proponents of the new Green Revolution.

In their April 10 editorial entitled “The World Food Crisis,” the New York Times warns that increases of 25-50% in the price of food and basic grains have sparked unrest “from Haiti to Egypt.” The Times rightly lays part of the blame on the doorstep of northern countries’ thirst for ethanol, pointing out that the substitution of fuel crops for food crops, “[Accounts] for at least half of the rise in world corn demand in each of the past three years.” A rise in demand means a rise in price. This puts food out of reach of poor consumers.

When Renewable Isn’t Sustainable:
Agrofuels and the Inconvenient Truths
Behind the 2007 U.S. Energy Independence
and Security Act

By Eric Holt-Giménez and Isabella Kenfield

March 2008

Isabella Kenfield | March 14, 2008

This article was originally published by Americas Program at the Center for International Policy: http://americas.irc-online.org/am/5070

On March 7th—International Women's Day—dozens of Brazilian women occupied a research site of the U.S.-based agricultural biotechnology giant Monsanto in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, destroying the greenhouse and experimental plots of genetically-modified (GM) corn. Participants, members of the international farmers' organization La Vía Campesina, stated in a note that the act was to protest the Brazilian government's decision in February to legalize Monsanto's GM Guardian® corn, which came just weeks after the French government prohibited the corn due to environment and human health risks.

If you are a typical family of four, your food bill likely increased by about $2,400 last year. Why?

FACT: Ethanol is helping drive food prices out of control without lowering the price of gas – Corn planted for ethanol competes for farmland with corn for food production and with other food crops. This drives up the price of all food crops, especially those that contain corn products—which is most of our processed food. Meat is more expensive because our beef cattle eat corn, not grass. Food prices have increased by 25% over last year! Gas prices still went up by 80%...

FACT: Our taxes are used to increase food costs - Without government mandates and subsidies, the ethanol industry would collapse. Last year subsidies for ethanol and biodiesel reached between $5.5 and $7.3 billion. We are paying to have our food prices go up!

FACT: Record high food prices hurt families – A moderate food budget for a family of four costs an average of $46 more per week this year than last. Even if you receive a $600 tax rebate this year, the money won't come close reimbursing your extra food costs due to ethanol production.

Tell the government to stop subsidizing higher food prices! How?

1. Call your congressperson: www.congress.org
2. Sign the moratorium on ethanol and other agriculturally derived fuels at http://ga3.org/campaign/agrofuelsmoratorium

As the presidential candidates posture for the all-important Super Tuesday, what are they saying—and not saying—about the current explosion in food prices? How do they address fuel versus food and farming issues? Do their ideas represent steps toward or steps away from the ideal of food sovereignty?

Unfortunately, most candidates appear to be asleep at the wheel and are either ignorant, or ignore the fact that the agrofuels boom has led to an average rise of 30% in the cost of bread, milk, and eggs. The world is down to only 54 days of grain reserves… the lowest on record. This is largely thanks to the U.S. demand from ethanol that has jumped from 54 to 81 million tons over the last year—more than two times the global growth in grain demand.(1) The ethanol industry owes its existence to taxpayer subsidies, so we are paying to fuel our rising food prices. Thus far not one candidate has pointed out this perverse irony.

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For Immediate Release Contact: Cameron Scott of RAN 415.659.0541
Contact: Eric Holt-Gimenez of Food First 510-654-4400 ext 227.

January 29, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO – Representatives from Rainforest Action Network (RAN), Student Trade Justice Campaign, Food First, Global Justice Ecology, and Grassroots International today called for a moratorium on all incentives and renewable fuels targets for agrofuels in pending federal energy legislation until standards can be developed to ensure that plant-based fuels such as biodiesel show significant environmental benefits over fossil fuels, and that they do not contribute to world hunger or human rights abuses. Citing environmental and human rights abuses linked to industrial biofuels production, groups announce opposition to federal agrofuels targets and incentives

In May of 2006, OaxacanGovernor Ulises Ruiz, with the support for federal Mexican troops detained over 500 people, tortured many, and killed more than a dozen people including U.S. journalist, Brad Will. They are still holding several political prisoners. Please join U.S. based Family Farm Defenders to demand the immediate release of Flavio Sosa and other political prisoners held in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Contact the Mexican Embassy at 1911 Pennsylvania AV, NW, Washington D.C. 20006
Tel: (202) 728 1600
Or send a message using this form:
http://portal.sre.gob.mx/usa/index.php?option=contact&Itemid=6

December 17, 2007
Contact: Eric Holt-Gimenez
510-654-4400 ext 227
Spanish and Portuguese translations below.

A coalition of U.S organizations is calling for an Immediate Moratorium on U.S. incentives for agrofuels, U.S. agroenergy monocultures and global trade in agrofuels. The Coalition is asking your organization to help strengthen the Call by signing on.

The Call comes as the United States Congress is on the verge of passing the Energy Independence and Security Act with strong bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate to mandate the use of 36 billion gallons of agrofuels per year by 2022—a five-fold increase over present levels.

Outcome of a joint meeting on climate change, hunger, rural development and agroecological alternatives to the Green Revolution
held in Mali, Africa November 26th – December 2nd 2007

Food First collaborated with other organizations to bring more than 150 participants from 25 African countries and 10 non-African countries. Attendees including farmers, pastoralists, environmentalists, women, youth and development organizations, gathered at the Nyéléni Center in Selingue, Mali from November 26th to December 2nd. Field trips to area farms helped to inform the discussion on:
-- Climate change and agriculture, fisheries and pastoralism in Africa
-- The fight against hunger
-- Development aid for agriculture and rural development in Africa
-- African Agroecological Alternatives to the Green Revolution.

Documents from the meetings are available at www.moreandbetter.org