Letter: Biofuel dangers

The Friends of the Earth report pointing to the fact that in 11 African countries an area the size of Denmark is being acquired by foreign companies to produce biofuels, mainly for the European market (your report, 30 August), is deeply disturbing.

Local communities often have land taken with few safeguards for their rights, and biofuel plants are competing with food crops for farmland, just at the time when climate change is inducing drought in large areas of Africa and Asia.

Even more land will be required for biofuels if the European Union is to reach its target of 10 per cent of transport fuels from renewable sources by 2020, a situation which could potentially result in up to 100 million more hungry people, increased food prices and landlessness.

It is vital that the UK government puts a stop to the biofuel target and campaigns for the EU to do likewise until a thorough investigation into the impact of biofuels has been completed, and credible and enforceable standards for biofuel production are in place.

Alex Orr

Leamington Terrace

Edinburgh