AMID LOOMING FOOD CRISIS
Solon wants biofuels development suspended
By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:44:00 03/25/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- Senior Deputy Minority Leader Roilo Golez called on Malacañang on Tuesday to impose a moratorium on the development of biofuels that would compete with food production.
"Supporting ethanol and biodiesel is opting to feed gas tanks instead of hungry stomachs. It is bad policy in the face of the food crisis," Golez said in a text message.
He urged the authors of the landmark Biofuels Act to take the lead in pushing for a moratorium on biofuel development.
Quoting the food advocacy think-tank Center for Global Food Issues, Golez said prices of commodities such as wheat, soybeans, rice and cotton were rising "as they're crowded out of field space by biofuel crops."
He noted that China blocked further expansion of its biofuel program because its food inflation rate rose 18.2 percent.
"These are dire warnings. The government's billion-dollar and million-hectare biofuel program should be suspended and the resources realigned to food production," Golez said.
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