Biofuels crime against humanity

Biofuels are once again in the firing line - and this time from the United Nations.

Its Special Rapporteur on the Right for Food, Jean Ziegler, called for the suspension of biofuels production, saying it is (???)(throwing) millions into poverty.

(SOUNDBITE) (French) U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHT TO FOOD JEAN ZIEGLER SAYING:

"Biofuels, currently, with today's production methods, are a crime against a great part of humanity."

He has called for a five-year ban on production of biofuels, saying it is destabilising food prices.

Concerns about the costs of food escalated on Thursday when rice hit record highs in Asia and affected the global market.

But prices of animal and dairy products have also been steadily rising, resulting, in some places, in a fall in demand.

So now many farmers are switching from food production to the ever-increasing and more stable biofuel market.

German farmer Egon Rattei already has a mixed farm, he produces both milk and biogas, and knows in which field he is going to try and increase production.

(SOUNDBITE) (German) FARMER EGON RATTEI SAYING:

"The market prices for foodstuffs, particularly milk, can be very unstable. There are various farms who have considered this and decided to switch to the production of biofuels, which is more profitable. Now food prices are a bit higher, so many farmers were considering about animal-farming, but you can't do that kind of thing if you are in milk production. You can't milk a cow one day and then not milk it the next, and then the milk prices fall and people want to re-invent the cow again, you can't work like that."

Unrest due to the food inflation has already erupted in parts of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean and is in danger of developing in other parts of the world.

Stefanie McIntyre, Reuters

dairy

Noun

pl dairies

1. a company or shop that sells milk and milk products

2. a place where milk and cream are stored or made into butter and cheese