Food versus Fuel

BioStreet Canada is keenly aware of the debate around food vs. fuel, and acknowledges the concerns of food security and human rights advocates in Canada and around the world. We are actively encouraging the industry to enter into a genuine dialogue with all stakeholders towards the creation of policies to ensure a healthy balance between food and fuel crops, and the overall sustainability of biofuels as they relate to reducing GHG emissions, impacts on the environment and affects on human societies.

While some biofuels are increasing demand for crops traditionally grown for food, such as corn, there are many other and larger factors affecting the price of food. Rising oil costs affect the price of almost all inputs associated with food production, including petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides, plus the transportation of these inputs. The cost of transporting food in our global food system is also increasing the cost of food as high fuel prices get passed onto consumers. These factors, combined with increased affluence in Asia and India and a corresponding demand for more meat (which requires significant amounts of grain for production), put more pressure on an already strained food system. Additionally, impacts of global warming are creating droughts in some areas and floods in others, with disastrous effects on total harvests around the world.

In order to help remove any contributions of biofuels on the challenge of rising food prices, BioStreet promotes the rapid evolution of next generation biofuels, and particularly those whose feedstock will not compete with soil, water and nutrients traditionally used to grow food. Until such a time as these technologies are commercially feasible, first generation biofuels are a stepping stone to help society transition away from fossil fuels and to reduce GHG emissions (from most biodiesel facilities and many ethanol facilities with clean energy sources). However, we must ensure that the net benefits of biofuels remain positive and quickly develop policy to measure and enforce this.

Finally, BioStreet believes that any dialogue around biofuel policy must be part of a greater discussion around the future of transportation in Canada (and around the world), which includes an overall transition away from fuel-based transportation and towards a system that relies heavily on renewable electricity and public transport for most commuting. The technology to make this transition already exists and we should quickly move in this direction.

Sustainable biofuels should be reserved primarily for vehicles where other alternatives are not feasible, such as heavy hauling, large rail and marine applications, and farm/industrial equipment.  Biofuels are just one of many alternatives that will make up the future of renewable energy in a low carbon future, and BioStreet Canada plans to be part of this diverse and rapidly growing sector of the new “green” economy.