UK NGO roundtable meeting on agrofuels

Agenda with presentations

Wednesday 25th July 2007

 

The meeting was organised by Rachel Sutton, Co-ordinator of the UK Food Group www.ukfg.org.uk, and was chaired by Jeanette Longfield, Sustain, http://www.sustainweb.org/

 

This meeting was held because agrofuels raise such complex issues, many sectors including those involved in farming, food sovereignty, biodiversity, climate change, energy, development, human rights, trade, transport, energy, corporates, GM and pesticide campaigns are concerned. 

 

The meeting aimed to introduced to UK NGOs the full range of concerns around the agrofuels issue in order to achieve a better understanding of the principles, policies and environmental, social and energy justice issues relating to agrofuels.

 

 

Impacts of agrofuel crops in SE Asia and Latin America and developments in Africa

Three speakers on their experiences and the effects on communities, the environment - the pressure of using land for fuel instead of food and the future for small holder farmers.

·                    Liz Chidley, Down to Earth (DTE) SE Asia Presentation

·                    Abdallah Mkindee, Envirocare Tanzania  http://www.envirocaretz.com   Presentation

·                    Stella Semino Grupo de Reflexion Rural (GRR), Argentina www.grr.org.ar

 

Debunking the promises for the future

·                    Climate Change: - Agro/Biofuels - more than a red herring - a climate disaster in the making  Andrew Boswell, Biofuelwatch  Presentation

·                    GM and 2nd generation agrofuels: Helena Paul Econexus http://www.econexus.info   Presentation

    

Food versus fuel - and energy justice

In the context of the failure of  the Millennium Development Goals & other UN processes to protect smallholder farmers, agroecosystems and communities already threatened by the globalisation of the food system and unfair trade agreements, what approaches should be pursued?   

·                    An international perspective Maria Arce, Practical Action http://practicalaction.org   Presentation

 

UK agriculture and agrofuels

Higher value markets for agrofuel are an attractive alternative for farmers facing low commodity food crop prices. How will agrofuel crops impact on habitats, wildlife and the rural economy?

·                    Hetty Selwyn, Farmers’ Link http://www.farmerslink.org.uk

·                    Harry Huyton, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds http://www.rspb.org.uk

 

 

Certification

Experience from the Forest Stewardship Council

The reality of governance in key agrofuel crop producing areas.

·                    Jutta Kill, Forests and the European Union Resource Network (FERN) http://www.fern.org