Showing posts with label Agriculture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Agriculture. Show all posts

Sunday, December 9, 2007

H-W. Sinn: Food or Fuel?

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/sinn17/English

The Economist: The End of Cheap Food

Rising food prices are a threat to many; they also present the world with an enormous opportunity

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10252015

Rising incomes in Asia and ethanol subsidies in America have put an end to a long era of falling food prices

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10250420

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

S. Johnson-Food and Biofuels: The Price of Success

"In a column in the December 2007 edition of Finance & Development magazine, IMF Chief Economist Simon Johnson looks at how the adoption of biofuels is driving up world food prices. He suggests that rich countries could help limit the rise, which is hurting the poor in low-income countries the most, by removing ethanol subsidies and cutting high tariffs."

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2007/RES123A.htm

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Biofuels : Is the cure worse than the disease ?

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/15/46/39348696.pdf

The 20th meeting of the Round Table on Sustainable Development on 11-12 September 2007 considered the sustainable potential of biofuels and government policies to support them. Ministers from OECD member and non members countries, senior representatives of international organisations, academia, civil society, and senior private sector executives discussed the technical potential of biofuels production and national and international policies to promote their development.

Biofuels could boost global warming

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/September/21090701.asp

PJ Crutzen et al, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 2007, 7, 11191

"Growing and burning many biofuels may actually raise rather than lower greenhouse gas emissions, a new study led by Nobel prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen has shown. The findings come in the wake of a recent OECD report, which warned nations not to rush headlong into growing energy crops because they cause food shortages and damage biodiversity...

But other experts are critical of Crutzen's approach. Simon Donner, a nitrogen researcher based at Princeton University, US, says the method is elegant but there is little evidence to show the N2O yield from fertilized plants is really as high as 3-5 per cent. Crutzen's basic assumption, that pre-industrial N2O emissions are the same as natural N2O emissions, is 'probably wrong', says Donner."

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Norman Borlaug

http://www.normanborlaug.org/

"For over a half century, the scientific and humanitarian achievements of Dr. Norman Borlaug (Nobel Peace Prize winner, Congressional Gold Medal Winner, and recipient of over 50 honorary Doctorate Degrees) has kept starvation at bay for millions of people in third world countries. Dr. Borlaug, "Father of the Green Revolution" continues his battle against starvation in Africa."