Greater need than ever for 'Second Generation' Biofuels- Bruce

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 8th Jul 2008

Speaking after the release of the Gallagher report on biofuel production, Gordon MP Malcolm Bruce has called on the Government to support the development of 'second generation' biofuels.

The review, conducted by chair of the Renewable Fuels Agency, Professor Ed Gallagher, has recommended that biofuel production should be slowed as the use of biofuels is driving up world food prices and threatening sustainable production in developing countries, but he also found that this could be overcome by moving towards so-called 'second generation' biofuels - those made from non-food crops.

Mr Bruce, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on International Development which is currently reviewing Global Food Security pointed to the delicate balance between rises in food prices and the procurement of biofuels.

Commenting, Malcolm Bruce said:

"We need to work to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and biofuels can offer a sustainable alternative in this respect. Clearly Governments need to strike a balance in producing crops for food as well as biofuels. We have recently witnessed a surge in biofuel production which has coincided with a change in diet for people in India and China who are starting eating more meat. Both of these require intensive farming which is having a knock-on effect on other crop prices such as wheat.

"This does not mean however that biofuels should be written off; rather, now is the time for the Government take stock of their strategy and invest in the development of a 'second generation' of biofuels using other bio-products instead of food crops. This could enable us to create a genuinely sustainable alternative that doesn't hamper international development."

ENDS