Another discussion of the unintended consequences of robbing Peter (food crops, farmland), to pay Paul (fuel tanks).

Regardless of whether you believe biofuels–biodiesel, ethanol, something else–will solve pollution and oil problems, the policy wheels and subsidies are already in motion. As Eric Holt-Giminez of the Institute for Food and Development Policy/Food First says:

“Many environmental groups in the North initially supported biofuels as a way to help small farmers in the South and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but failed to see what might happen when large corporate and financial interests became involved. Now biofuels are completely transforming the world’s food and fuel system and it has become a major issue in many countries.”

And given Bush’s signing of the Energy Independence and Security Act into law last month, we’re picking up the pace: the Act “mandates 36 billion gallons of agrofuels per year by 2022.”

I think the reasons for a heedless rush into biofuels is simpler. As Holt-Giminez says:

“There is tremendous corporate power behind the agrofuel industry.”

Lester Brown, well-known agricultural economist and founder of both the Earth Policy Institute and Worldwatch Institute, is more blunt:

“Biofuels will be seen as one of the great tragedies in history.”