Good morning everyone!

Topic: International Food Crisis

Presentation Outline
Research Question and Thesis Statement Introduction Argument 1 + Opposing view + Refutation Argument 2 + Opposing view + Refutation Recommendations

Conclusions

Research Question & Thesis Statement

RQ: Is the demand for biofuel driving more people into hunger and starvation?

TS: . The demand for biofuel is driving more people into hunger and starvation because it contributes to increased food prices and climate change.

YES

Globally

Hunger and starvation?

Biofuel?
Fuel made from biological material such as: Palm Corn Jatropha Soy

Fermenting these materials produce ethanol which can be used to power engines

Biofuels have generations?

1st gen: from food crops 2nd gen: from wastes of food crops (husks, stalks) 3rd gen: from specially grown algae

Why do I say yes?

Demand for biofuel increases food prices

US is the biggest producer of corn

People with cars (the minority) have more purchasing power than the majority who are living in subsistence level.car drivers can pay more for the same crops than the poor, says Santa-Barbara, PhD, Director of the Sustainable Scale Project.

As more and more farmers in the US sell their crops to biofuel companies instead of the food market, food supply decrease. If supply decrease, price increases.

 And if one food crop say corn, increase in price, people will switch to a cheaper alternative. But this increase in demand is not met with an increase in supply thus price of the alternative also increases. This creates a domino effect, from one food crop to another, even for meat.

People from poor countries spend 80% of monthly income on food:

With an increase in price, many are forced to skip meals and go hungry.

Most families only make US$100-200 per month

Opposing view:
Fuel crops do not compete with food crops in the market because
Jatropha and field corn not consumed by people 2nd and 3rd gen biofuel production

Well, maybe. But..

Refutation
Some people do depend on field corn when there is no sweet corn Technology is way behind for feasible production of 2nd & 3rd gen biofuel Still displaces food crops from agricultural land reducing supply

And..
In 2011 alone, US earmarked 40% of its corn production into producing ethanol
equivalent to 15% of global corn production

This amount is enough to feed 400 million people for one whole year!

Besides increasing food prices?

Actually contributes to climate change leading to droughts.

Why?
Requires large plots of land Requires fertilizers

Planting requires land

Since most of the available land is used for agricultural purposes, biofuel companies expand to forests and peat lands The soil in these areas store large amounts of carbon By converting them to plant crops, these carbons are released to the atmosphere causing global warming To repay the carbon debt takes: 423 years in Malaysia and Indonesia 319 years in Brazil and the Amazon This is how long it takes for biofuel to effectively reduce carbon emissions. Worth the wait?

Of course, companies could always use land which is already converted to plant crops, then there would be no debt. However, it would only displace the existing crops to new lands leading to the same situation.

Needs fertilizer
Requires large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers
Which releases nitrogen oxides to atmosphere
300 times more harmful to environment than other GHGs

Food + fuel Food alone

Just to fill a 95L tank with pure ethanol requires 250kg of corn

So whats the relation with hunger?

Slight increase in global temperatures drastically changes rainfall patterns
Land become dry and arid Yield of rain-dependent crops drop
Expected drop of (in the next 10 years):
50% in Africa 18% in cereal production in India

Without rain, farmers are unable to grow much leading to reduced food supply and income

But isnt biofuel supposed to be greener?

Yes, the fuel on its own is greener but reports that show an overall reduction of GHGs do not take into account planting of the fuel crops. Biofuel companies only advertises its benefits. Who wouldnt?

Recommendations
Nations should not lock in on biofuel as the main alternative to fossil fuel
Impossible to meet European Unions target of 10% total energy from biofuel by 2020 sustainably

Biofuel companies should spend more on developing better technology Reduce energy consumption especially on transportation
Better public transportation

Conclusion
With current technology, biofuel does not look good but it holds great potential in the future as it is a renewable energy source. As for now, it is not worth putting so many people through hunger just for an alternative energy source.

Reference list:
Canadian Foodgrains Bank (2008), Can a hungry world afford biofuels?, viewed 13 February 2012, <http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca/uploads/Can%20a%20hungry%20world%20afford%20biofuels.pdf> One World (2011), Food security guide, viewed 15 February 2012, <http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/food_security> ProCon.org (2009), Is biofuel production a major cause of the world food crisis?, viewed 15 February 2012, <http://alternativeenergy.procon.org/view.questions.php?issueID=000292&subissueID=000749> Rice, T. (2010), 'Meals per gallon', ActionAid UK, viewed 15 February, 2012, <http://www.actionaid.org.uk/doc_lib/meals_per_gallon_final.pdf> Spiegel Online (2008), 'Global food prices: the fury of the poor', 14 April, viewed 13 February 2012, <http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,547198,00.html> The New York Times, 2008, 'International: food crisis', 14 April, viewed 13 February 2012, <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/news/14iht-14oxan-food.11967155.html> World-Crisis.net (2008), Global food crisis, viewed 15 February 2012, <http://www.world-crisis.net/food-crisis.html>

Thank you for your attention!

Any questions?