Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ouagadougou (Agenzia Fides)- Increase the use of fuels of African vegetable in view of the exhaustion of fossil fuels. This was advised by experts at a meeting which ended on 29 November in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso. The meeting “At stake prospects for bio fuels in Africa”, was organised by the local government, the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union and the Economic Community of West African Countries.
Suggestions for African countries emerged from the conference: develop technologies for the use of vegetable oil to electrify rural areas so as to intensify agricultural development. Long term suggestions included development of technology to exploit “bio-masse”, from timber residue and agricultural scrap. This would respond to fears of a possible reduction of agricultural areas in African dedicated to food production in favour of crops destined to become bio-fuels.
The danger for human food was underlined in a recent report by UN special relator on food rights Jean Ziegler. Ziegler said bio fuels produced from maize and cereals cause the prices of the latter to increase and aggravate the problem of world hunger. He called for a five year moratorium on the production of bio fuels coming from foodstuffs.
This measure could also favour investments in second generation technologies to produce fuel from non food plants, agricultural scrap and refuse instead of food crops. This would avoid massive increases in cereal prices which aggravate hunger in the world. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 39/11/2007 righe 22 parole 284)
