[NYTr] Agro Expert Agrees Corn-Based Fuel Production Is Not Sustainable

[nytr at olm.blythe-systems.com]

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles


Agro Expert Agrees Corn-Based Fuel Production Is Not Sustainable

Havana, Jul 24 (acn) The Director General of the Inter-American 
Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Chelston Brathwaite, 
reaffirmed Monday that producing energy out of corn is a threat to food 
security and is not sustainable.

The expert, from Barbados, assured that producing ethanol from corn "is 
not a sustainable initiative," because it goes against food production. 
He noted that 75 percent of the world's poor depend on farming.

He said there would be no dilemma with agro-energy and biofuels, if 
basic food products were not used. Brathwaite spoke during a press 
conference after participating in the first day of the Agriculture and 
Rural Life in the Americas Week, taking place in Antigua, Guatemala 
through July 27, reported Granma newspaper Tuesday.

Guatemalan Agriculture Minister, Bernardo Lopez said in his opening 
speech the conference has raised high expectations. Representatives of 
some 34 countries from the region will exchange their experiences. He 
said that the nations of the area must come up with answers to new 
situations, such as the rise in the price of basic grains for their use 
as a raw material for making ethanol.