Despite strong efforts of industry to deny the influence of biodiesel production on foodstuffs prices, a new investigation shows that there is a connection between them. The Experts of European company Cerulogy argue in their study that the policy of biodiesel use in vehicle actually leads to increase of foodstuffs prices.
In their opinion, the growing demand for biodiesel has a great impact on the increase of prices on seed oils in EU - rapeseed, palm, soya, and sunflower, - oil price in exajoule (that is the 18-th power of 10 joule) energy from biodiesel reached 171%. In addition, the price of oil-plants seeds rised by 25%. The raw materials for ethanol production are also in risk, wheat price shows growth by 20% in exajoule in wheat ethanol, and the sweet materials in sugar ethanol increase by 40% in exajoule.
Biodiesel Production in the framework of EU Energy Policy
If Europe step-by-step refuses to use oil-plant seeds for the production of biodiesel, in 2030 seed oils - sunflower, rapeseed, soya, and palm - will cost by 8% cheaper in comparison to scenario when there is established 7% use of biodiesel (this aim is set forth in energy policy of EU).
Due to the termination of biodiesel use from foodstuffs in EU, the European consumers would save $13 bln. by 2030 and $6 bln. would be saved by the consumers in the rest of the world, including developing countries, - evaluated in Cerulogy.
The European experts are sure that production and use of biodiesel, which is claimed as some mantra by European politicians are not beneficial for both nature and man but on the contrary, have extremely negative consequences for them. In an effort to leave fossil fuels (first of all, patrol and diesel) in vehicle europoliticians forget that biofuel also has negative impact on nature, and also that a part of population on our planet simply starves.
Biodiesel Prices define food prices
The experts pay attention to the fact that the growth of foodstuffs prices influences greatly the level of poverty especially in developing countries. In some of them, foodstuffs expenses may amount to one third of family budget. Even a little increase in foodstuffs prices may influence the welfare of such families.
Bioenergy expert, BirdLife Europe & Central Asia Sini Eradzhaya considers that biofuel production from foodstuffs, either from grain or oil seed, leads to reduction of forests on the Planet, increase of greenhouse gas emission and threatens to habit area of endangered species of flora and fauna.
Biofuel Production - Main Disadvantages
- Biofuel production requires intensive soil use, as well as causes raising foodstuffs prices for Europeans and citizens of developing countries. It makes sense to drop support for biodiesel use in our cars and trucks, - says Eradzhaya.
Yory Sivanen, biodiesel expert from Transport & Environment, supports the same idea. According to him, the research conclusions are decisive: the policy of biofuel use increases foodstuffs prices.
The industry of biodiesel production should pay attention to these facts: the use of foodstuffs for automobile fill-up leads to the increase of foodstuffs demand and its price. Instead of spreading "the alternative facts", biodiesel producers must invest in advanced technologies, which do not depend on growing agricultural products, - says Yory Sivanen.
The analysis of transport and environment based on the results of investigation of Globiom shows that in average biodiesel from foodstuffs is by 80% worse for climate in comparison to conventional diesel. Biodiesel from palm oil is three times worse for climate than petrol. Besides, cars and trucks in Europe are the main consumers of palm oil, to be precise, biodiesel made out of it.
In November 2016, The European Commission represented suggestions for energy policy revision in the sphere of renewable energy sources for the period after 2020.
In particular, EC experts proposed to reduce the use of conventional biodiesel (produced of agricultural crops) from maximum 7% in 2021 to 3.8% in 2030. Their proposal contains also the obligation to increase a part of "low-emission fuel types", such as biodiesel of the second generation, in vehicles to 6.8%.
Now, depending on feedstock type used for the production there are several types of biodiesel, for instance, first generation fuel (from agricultural crops), second generation (from fat-containing wastes) and third generation (from microalgae lipids).
It should be noted, that the most widespread in EU is rapeseed biofuel, and in USA - soya based.
