Energy and Food Security

Abstract

This chapter explores the complex linkages between energy and food security. The production of biofuels has increased significantly in view of their ­supposed benefits in terms of mitigating climate change and improving energy ­security. Concerted efforts are being made to develop new forms of biofuels, and to increase the production of biofuel crops over vast areas. Given the current state of the technology, the intended increase raises concerns about their economic and ­ecological viability. The chapter demonstrates that when setting biofuel targets, most governments do not consider the full range of implications. The benefits of biofuels include a 3–8% increase in agricultural value added in the developed ­countries and a reduction in annual greenhouse gas emissions of 12.4 Gt CO₂ ­equivalent by 2050. But the costs will be substantial: the loss of 30–45 million ­hectares of arable land to biofuel production and a significant increase in the ­number of people at risk of hunger.