Earth Day - The price of being "eco"

"A silent tsunami which knows no borders sweeping the world".

That is how the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) summed up the global food shortages. An extra million people have been plunged into poverty due rising food prices across the world.

Why have food prices soared? The prices have risen due to high fuel costs and large demand for bio-fuels. Agricultural land is being used to grow biofuels, such as wheat, to meet the global demand led by China and India. This is land that would be be used to grow crops for food. In turn this also means less is available to be exported to countries which rely on food imports.

It is obvious now more than ever that a review is needed for bio-fuels policy. On Earth Day, when everyone should be thinking of ways to limit their carbon footprint, we should also remember to do this in a thoughtful and logical way.

The BBC has a some interesting statistics to report on the global food crisis. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7361945.stm