Les prix élevés des denrées alimentaires sont liés à la demande en biocarburants

Infographie : F. Descheemaekere

[Euractiv]

Les biocarburants représentent la plus grande partie de la nouvelle demande de production agricole. Ils ont entraîné la volatilité des prix des cultures céréalières comme le blé et le maïs, indique un nouveau rapport de l’Organisation des Nations unies pour l’alimentation et l’agriculture (FAO).

Biodiesel accounted for 80% of the EU’s vegetable oil production while 37% of the grain crop in the United States went towards ethanol production, the FAO’s ‘State of Food and Agriculture 2012’ report shows. The report, released Thursday (6 December), calls for ramping up agricultural investment in developing nations to provide jobs and reduce poverty. It points out that average farm production has declined since the 1960s and that threats to land and water could further erase gains. Droughts that hurt production in southern Europe and devastated the US corn output this summer triggered calls for the United States and European Union to suspend all biofuel mandates.
Prolonged dry spells have threatened parts of China, Russia, Australia, France, Spain, Portugal and the southern United States in recent years – affecting crop output but also leading to frenetic food pricing.

Lire : euractiv.com