Throughout the world, there is an encouragement for using biofuels instead of the traditional fuels. This has given rise to a large number of biofuel industries in the developed as well as in the developing countries. This is a fight against environmental pollution. But on the other hand, what about the fight against poverty?
According to Oxfam, increase in biofuels is an increase in poverty. This is responsible for inflation; specially the rising prices of food all around the globe. Large portion of land is used for the production of biofuels. This is adversely affecting the production of food crops. At this time we need more of food grains to feed the increasing population. But biofuels are making a restriction on the overall cultivation of the food items. That’s why there is a hike in the price of every edible item. This is making a further increase in poverty.
The so-called green policy is not so effective to combat the pollution, climate change or global warming etc. On the contrary, this is snatching away the means of livelihood from millions of people.
Many countries feel that biofuel is a profitable export and helps wash out poverty but we need to analyze both the aspects of the term. Biofuel may be a boom in the export industry and a good green policy to fight the climate change, but it’s all only at the cost of making the poor even poorer.
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Source: BBC