Not all biofuels are bad

19.03.2008 / 00:00 CET

While I agree entirely that you should not “wreck the planet” as the advert placed by the BirdLife International in European Voice (28 February-5 March) stated, it is simply wrong to condemn the use of biofuels outright.
Biofuels are not a silver bullet but at the moment they are the only viable alternative to oil-based products and sustainability is a key element of their production and use. Currently only 3% of the palm oil produced around the world is used for biofuel, with the remaining 97% used in processed food and cosmetics (quite likely including products sold by BirdLife members such as the UK's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). The National Farmers' Union agrees that palm oil should not be used if it cannot achieve sustainability objectives, but if you buy British-based biofuels, you can be assured they are prod-uced to high standards.
The overall message is not that biofuels are wrong. Indeed, they are a part of the climate change solution and will help to drive up standards for sustainable sourcing of all agricultural products in the future.

Richard Macdonald
Director-general, National Farmers' Union
Stoneleigh, UK

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