Despite the warnings of environmentalist and anti-poverty groups, the EU is negotiating a deal with Brazil which will aid Brazilian biofuels companies in their efforts to expand their operations in Africa, thereby benefitting from lower import tariffs when exporting to EU markets. The EU is relying on biofuels to achieve its target of sourcing 20 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020, ignoring strong concerns that the production of biofuels can have harmful effects on food prices and the environment.

At the EU-Brazil summit in Brasilia on Wednesday 14 July, EU leaders agreed to cooperate with Brazil on various initiatives in Portuguese speaking parts of Africa, Haiti and East Timor, including a project to develop bioethanol, biodiesel and bioelectricity production in Mozambique.

Adrian Bebb of Friends of the Earth condemned the Mozambique project, saying: “In a country that suffers persistent hunger, using millions of hectares of agricultural land to grow crops to power European cars is immoral and perverse”.

“European biofuels targets are what is driving this global expansion,” he added. “Instead of doing deals to grab more land in the South, the EU should be scrapping its biofuel policy.”

Source:

• EUobserver