EU Biofuel Targets Leaves Confectioners Worried

According to NutraIngredients, CAOBISCO, the European trade body for the biscuit and confectionery industry, claims that the 10 per cent mandatory target for the inclusion of biofuels in transport fuel by 2020 cannot be achieved in a sustainable way. The warning came in the form of a statement from CAOBISCO incorporating the views of other European trade organisations in the confectionery, bakery, milling and related industries.

The EU policy of boosting biofuels production has "contributed considerably to the dramatic price increases in raw materials worldwide," which has been exacerbated by global demand for agricultural commodities and erratic weather, it said. First generation biofuels are made from vegetable oils, sugar cane, cereals and derivatives which are the "key raw materials" for the groups represent by CAOBISCO, the statement acknowledged.

The organisation highlighted research at the University of Bologna which concluded that the impact on prices following a sharp increase in the demand of agricultural commodities will reduce the competitiveness of the food industry and require consumers to pay for higher production costs. Other EU scientific bodies and international organisations have share similar concerns about the biofuel target, claims the statement.

An impact assessment published in February by CAOBISCO confirmed that EU land would be unable to cope with the additional demand that the 10 per cent biofuels target would trigger. The EU-27 would become a net-importer of grains, swinging from 10 million tonnes of exports up to 32 million tonnes of imports, claimed the research. Also, up to 50 per cent of the main vegetable oils will be imported in 2020, it continued.

The report concluded that total available land in the EU "can clearly not cope with the additional demand for bio-fuels", with about a quarter of total arable land dedicated to energy crops. Since the EU is not able to produce all the feedstock to meet the biofuels demand, imports would be inevitable, putting pressure on arable land in other regions including rainforests, and creating additional CO₂ emissions, shortages of water and food shortages.

View the NutraIngredients story by clicking here.

Further Reading

- Go to our previous news item on this story by clicking here.

TheBioenergySite News Desk

Sign up for our
regular news updates

Latest Bioenergy Industry News

•   Cooperation Agreements for Brazil and Canada
•   NTR in Algae Joint Venture
•   Symposium on Future of Biodiesel
•   Consumers Energy Wind Farm Plan
•   Commissioner at International Conference on Biofuels
•   Daewoo Logistics Biofuel Project for Madagascar
•   Biodiesel from Urban Waste
•   Wind Farm Plan for Brazil
•   Egypt Wants Brazilian know-how in Biofuels
•   Inland Empire Oilseeds Starts Biodiesel Production