actionaiduk biofuels campaign - hunger
DESCRIPTION
An introduction to ActionAid UK's biofuels campaign launched in February 2010. The campaign is based on extensive global research of the risk that the continued growth of biofuels poses to food security in the developing world as well as to climate change. ActionAidUK is currently lobbying the UK government and Department for Transport to review its policy of increasing the percentage of biofuel in transport fuels to meet EU targets. For more info please visit actionaid.org.uk/biofuels or contact us on twitter @actionaidukTRANSCRIPT
Biofuelling hunger
ActionAid launches campaign on biofuels
Photo: Atul Loke/Panos/ActionAid
What is going on?
The demand for crops for fuel puts them indirect competition with crops grown for food;
increasing food prices and forcing those struggling even further into poverty
Meet Carlotta Machaule, she lost her land with a farming association to a biofuel company Mozambique and is now fighting to reclaim her rights
Photo: James Oatway/Panos/ActionAid
In 2008 alone the rise in food prices forced 30 million more people into hunger
Purchasing of food with 5,000 Kwacha (US$1) in Lusaka, Zambia, February 2008
Photo: Mwila Mulumbi
Purchasing of food with 5,000 Kwacha (US$1) in Lusaka, Zambia, February 2009
Photo Credit: Mwila Mulumbi
Increased demand for biofuels could push a staggering 600 million people into
hunger by 2020
But how could biofuels do this?
Industrial biofuels are produced from agricultural crops like maize, wheat and sugar
Busiswe Mpulo, maize farmer in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa
Photo : James Oatway/PANOS/ActionAid
Through biofuel production crops intended for food become fuel instead
Image credit: Atul Loke/PANOS/ACTIONAID
Two-thirds of the EU’s biofuels will be imported – with most coming from the developing world
In the developing world agricultural land isbeing used (sometimes seized) to meet the demand for biofuel crops
Photo Credit: James Oatway/PANOS/ActionAid
Photo: worldmapsonline.com
The current land grab is vast. In just 5 African nations an area the size of Belgium (1.1 million hectares) has been set aside
for biofuel rather than food production
To meet EU biofuel demands 17.5 million hectares would be needed, an area over half
the size of Italy!
The UK government is currently looking at increasing the use of biofuels to meetreduced emissions targets
Flickr Photo : Senor Codo
By the end of 2010 two UK refineries could be burning 1 million tonnes of wheat to make
biofuel for UK petrol
1 million tones of wheat contains enough calories to feed the whole nation of Kenya
for 25 days
The amount of corn required to fill the tank of a 4x4 could feed a child for year
Chelimo, aged 9, and her aunt Margaret, northern KenyaPhoto: ActionAid
At 40 meals per gallon that’s not very good mileage...
This biofuels boom will have the greatest effect on women
Photo: James Oatway/PANOS/ActionAid
Women like Elisa Alimone Mongue
Elisa’s family were small holders in Mozambique who grew their own foodand sold the surplus on to generate income
Without her family’s permission a company seized her land to grow industrial biofuels
Photo: Tim Rice/ActionAid
Elisa hasn’t been compensated and now makes reed mats to support her family but finds it hard to pay for food she otherwise would have grown.
If the price of food increases even more, Elisa - like most women in the developing world - might have to reduce her intake of food so the rest of her family don’t go hungry.
So what do people in the UK think about biofuels?
*YouGov poll of 2,000 people
Julio Ngoene, village chief and farmer, Mozambique Photo: James Oatway/Panos/ActionAid
In a recent survey 40% of people think that biofuels cause or contribute to hunger *
32% felt the UK Government should NOT be increasing the amount of biofuel in our petrol*
*YouGov poll of 2,000 people
Photo: Atul Loke/Panos/ActionAid
49% of people have no strong opinions on whether the UK Government should be increasing its use of biofuels*
*YouGov poll of 2,000 peoplePhoto: ActionAid
Maybe it’s time we changed their minds?
Visit actionaid.org.uk/biofuels and1. E-mail the Department for Transport2. Lobby your MP 3. Have your say and join the debate 4. Spread the word and make a difference
Biofuels: Stop the disaster before it happens
“What we want is to get our farms back because that is what ourlivelihood is dependent on... we are dying of hunger and there is nothing that we have that is actually our own.”Matilde Ngoene, mother and farmer,Mozambique, November 2009
Photo: James Oatway/Panos/ActionAid
www.actionaid.org.uk
Figures from YouGov plc: Total sample size was 2000 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 18th - 21st December 2009. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+)