German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for restrictions on the production of biofuels in order to avert a shortage of global food supplies. Forests should not be cleared in order to plant crops used for biofuels, Deutsche Presse- Agentur (dpa) quoted her as saying. Merkel said she was expected to sign an agreement to this effect with the government of Brazil, the first stop on her four-nation tour to Latin America.
Latin America is enjoying a boom in biofuel production, leading to deforestation and competition with food crops. Acknowledging that biofuel was important despite environmental and food safety concerns, Merkel said production had to be carried out “in a responsible manner so that it does not come into conflict with world food supplies.” Research should concentrate on a new generation of biofuels based on synthetic gases derived from natural gas, coal or biomass and turned into liquid fuels or synfuels, she said.