EU:EU AGRICULTURE policies are partly to blame for riots sparked by rising food prices across the globe, the European Parliament in Strasbourg heard yesterday.
Rocked by food shortages and the subsequent violent demonstrations by the poorest residents of developing nations including Haiti, Mexico and the Philippines, Europe's politicians yesterday debated the causes of and solutions to the "global food crisis", which has led to the doubling and trebling of the prices of wheat, rice and corn in recent months.
Parliamentarians blamed financial speculators, fertiliser costs, fear of genetically modified products, SUV drivers and the surging populations in developing nations such as China and India. However, many speakers said the blame lay with the massive amount of land being used to grow biofuel crops.
The EU subsidises biofuel production, although it has recently stopped paying farmers to set aside land for biofuel crops such as oilseed and linseed, to the anger of many producers.
"African land is being used to keep our cars on the road," said UK Independent Graham Booth, who urged an end to EU encouragement of biofuels.
"What is more useful to villagers in Africa: a full petrol tank or a full stomach?" said Italian MEP Luca Romagnoli. "It seems wrong that we should make people in the developing world grow food for fuel rather than to eat it."
Eoin Ryan (FF) called for an urgent UN conference on the issue to ensure future food security.
Fine Gael MEP Maireád McGuinness said it could be a good thing that "Europe is paying through the nose and is terrified . . . because we'll pay more account to the poorest of the poor who are paying through the nose for food". Ms McGuinness said food production would only increase in the West if farmers could make a decent living. "Commodity prices are increasing, but so too are the costs of production. We have a real problem here - just look at the rise in fertiliser prices."
Northern Ireland MEP and former Armagh farmer Jim Nicholson (UUP) said the EU must do more to encourage agricultural production in Europe.
Louis Michel, the European commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, said many of yesterday's arguments were oversimplifications.
Biofuels were important crops, he said, and the EU had never encouraged farmers to grow fuel where food was needed. Biofuel production also helped farmers escape poverty, he said, giving them more money to buy food.