Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday he would seek to convince world leaders gathering in Rome this week that ethanol is not to blame for global food inflation threatening millions with hunger.
Brazil is the world’s largest ethanol exporter and a pioneer in sugar-cane based biofuels, making it a target of critics who say ethanol is behind increases in world commodity prices.
Lula said the UN summit on food security which begins today would give Latin America’s biggest economy an opportunity to shape the debate about biofuels — and hopefully win over some skeptics.
PHOTO: AFP
“This gathering that the [UN Food and Agriculture Organization] is promoting will be a great opportunity for Brazil,” Lula told reporters in Rome ahead of the event.
“I’m convinced that we’re at the beginning a debate … It’s up to Brazil, a center of excellence in ethanol production, to prove that it’s fully possible to make ethanol output compatible with the production of food,” he said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has set up his own task force to find answers to the food security crisis, was expected to hold private talks with Lula in Rome yesterday.
The leaders of France, Spain, Japan, Argentina and some African nations are attending.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is also expected.
Most of the anti-biofuel ire has been aimed at US production of maize-based ethanol which has diverted large quantities of that staple into fuel.
Critics say in Brazil, the production of ethanol is pushing cattle ranchers and farmers deeper into the Amazon rainforest.
Lula rejected such claims and said countries in Europe and elsewhere had no right to make policy suggestions on the Amazon.
Lula said Brazil was proof that countries did not need to choose between food and fuel, because Brazil, which produces more biofuel also produces more food.
The WWF estimates that demand for ethanol will reach 100 billion liters by 2012, and that the US, the biggest producer, will provide 42 percent of that.
Gasoline consumption, by way of comparison, was 1.24 trillion liters in 2005.
Currently, the US produces 28 billion liters of ethanol, followed by Brazil with 22 billion liters.
The WWF did note, however, that sugarcane fields tended to occupy areas once given over to cattle-raising, and even though it rated that factor as insignificant, it did warn that some ancillary effect of displaced ranchers moving into the Amazon, contributing to deforestation, could occur.
Eduardo Leao, the executive director of the Unica federation covering the sugarcane industry, said ethanol production uses just 1 percent of Brazil’s total arable land.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned