Biotech Updates

Biofuel Demand Hikes Agriculture Prices

July 6, 2007

World prices for many food products could increase due to greater demand for biofuels. Long term changes in markets are also due to reduced crop surpluses and a decline in export subsidies. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) set this scenario in OECD-FAO  Agricultural Outlook 2007-2016.

The growing use of cereals, sugar, oilseed and vegetables oils for ethanol and bio-diesel are changing crop prices and indirectly through higher animal feed costs and livestock products. In the US alone, annual maize-based ethanol output is expected to double between 2006 and 2016.  Added to this are temporary factors like droughts in wheat-growing regions and low stocks accounting for the recent increases in farm commodity prices.

For more information, contact Erwin Northoff of FAO at Erwin.northoff@fao.org or visit
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000620/index.html.