The Looming Threat to Food, Farmers, and Human Rights

What Are Agrofuels?
Take Action

The use of food for fuel is taking land and livelihoods away from our planet’s most vulnerable people. The diversion of food crops to biofuels is raising food prices, making it harder for the poor to buy food. More and more land in developing countries is being converted to biofuel crop production, reducing the food being grown for local communities and destroying the agricultural biodiversity that thrives in farmers’ fields.

The tide of public opinion is turning against the biofuel craze, with more and more people recognizing the potential threat they pose to our food supply. Scientists, activists, economists, and journalists have all documented evidence that biofuels, in many cases, use more fossil fuels throughout their lifecycles than they offset, and generate the same or more greenhouse gas emissions. The name “agrofuels” has been adopted here to reflect the fact that these fuels are not necessarily good for the environment - and are closely linked to industrial agriculture.

What are Agrofuels?

The basic idea is that plants can be processed into fuels, reducing our reliance on petroleum-based products. For example, corn can be transformed into ethanol to fuel cars. But USC Canada is concerned that the agrofuels push is taking land and rights away from family farmers in developing countries – and is not creating a long-term solution to the food crisis, the farm crisis, or the energy crisis.

On June 26, 2008, the Canadian government adopted a law (Bill C-33) which would allow the federal government to implement regulations that would require 5% average biofuel content in gasoline by 2010. Subsequent regulations would also require 2% average renewable content in diesel and heating oil by 2012. Regulations are now being written which will determine whether and how Canadians buy fuel that takes food away from poor countries.

Industry has predicted that, to keep pace with increasing demand for agrofuels, 20% of the planet’s arable land will have to be dedicated to agrofuels. We are simply not prepared for this. Before regulations are adopted requiring minimum agrofuel levels in gasoline, diesel, and heating oil in Canada - we need to understand where these fuels would come from and what the social and environmental consequences would be. In its official observations on Bill C-33, the Senate reflected these concerns, demanding that regulations and subsidies only be adopted if they induce significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions; that biofuels sold in Canada are made using Canadian-produced agricultural products; that the biofuels push improves farmers’ incomes; and that new information (including on the link to the food crisis) is taken into account.

Take Action: Reject the Agrofuel Bill! 

Sign the Food not Fuel Petition – a giant corn cob petition that hundreds of Canadians are signing each week to demand that food goes to people, not cars. The petition will be presented to Canadian authorities in the fall of 2008.

Learn more and get involved with the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) campaign website and GRAIN, an international NGO.

Hold a teach-in or benefit concert in your community featuring a debate on the future of food & biofuels. The proceeds can go to helping people grow food for themselves. Email us for more information.