The "communicators" for the food trusts are trying to disarm the critics. They do not deny that it is unethical to divert food from its primary use and instead make it a source of energy. But be reassured, they promise. There will soon be a "second generation" of biofuels, made from agricultural waste, wood chips or plants such as jatropha, which only grows on arid land (where no food production is possible). And then, they add, the techniques already exist to allow the treatment of the stems of the corn plant without damaging the ear ... But at what cost?
(And also, the fact remains that the production of
biofuel requires an enormous amount of water and energy. -- Comment by SON)
The
word "generation" suggests a logical and necessary biological
succession. But the terminology is, in this case, misleading. Because if the agro-fuels'
so-called "second generation" actually does exist, the production will
be far more expensive because of the screening and intermediate treatment it
requires. And thus, in a market dominated by the principle of maximizing
profits, they will only play a marginal role.
The tank of a midsize car holds 50 liters. To make 50 liters of bioethanol, 358 kg of corn have to be destroyed.
In Mexico and in Zambia, corn is the staple food. With 358 kg of corn, a Zambian or a Mexican child can get enough to eat for one year.
Amnesty International summarizes my point: "Biofuels -- full tanks and empty stomachs."
The curse of sugar cane
Not only do biofuels consume each year hundreds of millions of tons of corn, wheat and other foods, not only does their production release into the atmosphere millions of tons of carbon dioxide, but, in addition to this, they cause social disasters in the countries where the transcontinental companies that manufacture the biofuel become dominant.
Let us take the example of Brazil.
...
The struggle of the workers in the engenho.[5] Trapiche is a suitable example. The vast lands that are barely visible in the evening mist were once state lands, Terra da Unià £o. They were, just a few years ago, agricultural plots of land, 1 to 2 hectares in size cultivated by small subsistence farmers. The families lived in poverty, but they were secure, enjoyed a certain degree of wellbeing and relative freedom.
Through their excellent relations with Brasilia and their significant capital, the financiers have obtained the "decommissioning", that is to say the privatization of these lands. The small bean and cereal farmers who lived here were deported to the slums of Recife. Except those who agreed, for a pittance, to become sugar cane cutters. Today, those laborers are overexploited.
In Brazil, the biofuel production program is considered a priority. And sugar cane is one of the most profitable commodities for the production of bioethanol.
The Brazilian program for a rapid increase in the production of bioethanol has a curious name: the Pro-alcohol plan. It is the pride of the government. In 2009, Brazil consumed 14 billion liters of bioethanol (and biodiesel) and exported 4 billion.
The dream of the government is to export over 200 billion liters.
The Brasilia government wants to increase to 26 million hectares the cultivation of sugar cane. In the struggle against the bioethanol giants, the powerless cane cutters on the Trapiche plantation do not have a chance.
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