CONGRESSMAN [Roilo] Golez’s concern that biofuels will eat into food security — specifically, “making beer more expensive” — strains credulity.
Couldn’t he at least think of other, more plausible reasons besides worrying about a more expensive alcoholic drink?
– Perla Limbaga Manapol, Banga, Aklan, Philippines (via e-mail)
Loading ...
December 17th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Congressman Golez is pretty poorly informed on the facts of biofuels supposedly affecting our food security, a correct study and policy implementation of biofuel development is simply needed in order to avoid such pitfalls.
First, what has to be done initially is to ask for a survey of land in the Philippines, study which areas are idle and may prove suitable for biofuel planting and consequently also unsuitable for staple crop development. There are biofuel plant sources which may grow properly in certain land areas where food crops would not prosper (ex. Jatropha is one hardy biofuel source which grows in areas where food crops would not prosper in the first place)
Second, once these areas are identified, the areas can be planted with bio-fuel plant sources without danger of supplanting food crop areas; if Golez would observe, there are a lot of idle land which are untilled and undeveloped. Rather than leave these areas unused, it is better to plant these areas with bio-fuel producing trees.
Care would however be given in areas which may be affected by a potential bio-fuel “boom” and may end up destroying the biodiversity of protected areas and sanctuaries (especially by “kaingin” or slash and burn agriculture).
Like in all things, moderation and proper forest and resource management must still be maintained and implemented. Bio-fuel may be good, but it is not a reason to abuse our land.
A proper study, full utilization and development of idle lands and protective policy implementation must all go hand in hand to strike an excellent balance between land utilization, food security and forest protection.
On a side note, it is also observed that much of the agricultural land in the Philippines remain idle due to lack of proper refrigeration facilities and direct market access to cities, which depresses the selling price from farms (discouraging the farmer from planting food crops) while raising food prices in the cities (as caused by middlemen speculators and food/market monopolies).
The entry of a good biofuel market may affect the price of food, primarily NOT because of the conversion to biofuel production plantations but mainly because of existing food/market monopolies and lack of refrigeration and food storage facilities, a current situation largely ignored.
Failure to address this basic problem would create complications in the future. As a suggestion, the role of the National Grain Authority must expand to include storage, refrigeration, marketing and transport of critical food items otherwise food insecurity and mismanagement incurred famine may occur.