It will lead to huge areas of forest to be cleared while food crops will be replaced by the plantation of more profitable "energy crops" like palm and soya, green groups Ecologists in Action and Via Campesina said in a report distributed at the event.

"Greater use of biofuels will lead to intensive monocultures in the most vulnerable and most ecological areas of the plant," said the report which called biofuels a "serious threat" to the planet.

The European Union, one of the world's top producers of biofuels, has committed itself to stepping up the use of biofuels as a way to cut emissions of greenhouse gases that are believed to contribute to climate change.

In January the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, set a new target for its 27 member countries to replace 10 percent of petrol and diesel with biofuels by 2020.

The EU previously had a target for its member states to replace 5.75 percent of petrol and diesel with biofuels by 2010.

To meet its newest goal, experts say Europe will have to import more raw materials from nations like Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Biofuel producers taking part at the summit, which organizers said was the first on the topic to be held in Europe, said they were aware of the risks that the intensive production of biofuels carries but were studying solutions.

Dutch biofuels expert Winfried Rijssenbeek pointed to jatropha, a tropical shrub which produces seeds with an oil content of up to 40 percent, as an environmentally friendly source of biofuel.

"It is not edible and therefore does not compete with the food sector," he said at the summit.

Jatropha also has the advantage that it can be grown in very poor soils that are not suitable to other crops, is drought resilient and can help in the fight against desertification, Rijssenbeek added.

Indonesia, a major producer of palm oil used to make biofuels, plans to have 1.5 million hectares of jatropha under cultivation by 2010, as much land as is dedicated to harvesting palm oil, said Achmad Suryana a representative of the Southeast Asian nation's agriculture ministry.

But environmentalists like Via Campesina say a single plant will not solve all of the problems created by biofuels. What is needed instead, they argue, is "a drastic reduction in the consumption of energy."

More than 200 biofuel experts, government representatives and researchers took part in the summit, which had the backing of Spain's industry ministry and was organised by German consultant Survey Marketing and Consulting.

Organizers hope the summit will become an annual event.

earlier related report
Latin America at risk from social, economic inequalities: WEF
Geneva (AFP) April 18 - Latin America's economies are less vulnerable to sudden disruption than in previous decades but social and economic inequalities pose a growing concern, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said on Wednesday.

"Perhaps the region's greatest ongoing concerns are social and economic inequalities -- which remain the most significant in the world," the WEF said in a report on risks facing the region.

Latin America is the "most unequal region in the world," where 25 percent of the population lives on less than 2.0 dollars (1.5 euros) per day despite average growth rates of more than 4.0 percent over the past three years.

"Economic inequality and social marginalisation are the greatest risks facing Latin America. These longstanding twin disappointments continue to hamper the region's progress -- social cohesion and inclusive economic development are joined at the hip," the report said.

It called for greater political will to tackle vested interests, adding that the region's business community has the capacity to become a key catalyst for change.

Economic inequalities and perceptions of injustice can feed into political instability and a rise in populism, even though the level of democratic stability over the past two decades in unsurpassed in history, the WEF said.

"The poor and lower middle class in Latin America are still largely disconnected and do not feel the benefits of globalisation and liberalisation. The mismatch of interests and/or perceptions of globalisation could lead to an endogenous backlash, protectionism and political tensions," it warned.

Climate change is another cloud on the horizon with an increased risk of extreme weather, drought, food insecurity, disease and population displacement, the report said.

Illegal logging and deforestation in the Amazon Basin could also have disastrous consequences not only for the region but also the rest of the world, it added.

However, the need for new investments in alternative energy sources such as biofuels could provide opportunities for innovation and economic growth.

"Latin America is well positioned to become the global leader in biofuels and renewable energy," especially due to sugarcane refining in Brazil and soybeans in Argentina, the WEF said.

Email This Article

Related Links
Via Campesina
Save the Forests at Wood Pile