Since 2003, EU policymakers have promoted biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they have turned out to be a disaster for the climate, human rights and food security.
Studies have shown that, when emissions from land-use changes are taken into account, biodiesel made from vegetable oils, such as palm, soy or rapeseed oil, emits more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels. EU biofuel policies also incentivize the need for vast areas of land globally to produce feedstocks for the biofuel industry.
This paper also lays out how these fuels threaten food security because of their impact on food availability, food prices and stability, and the social and environmental sustainability of food systems. It recommends changes to EU biofuel policies and proposes sustainable biofuel and transport policies.
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