The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) said in a report on Friday that an immediate ban on bio fuel production can save the world from a looming food crisis which can give rise to massive malnutrition, starvation, and riots.
The report said that the worst drought in 50 years in the US and lack of rains in India and some other countries had left global food market highly vulnerable.
PEW President Dr Murtaza Mughal said that it had become evident that the most advanced agricultural systems were dependent on the weather and any unfriendly climate change could lead to severe grain shortage.
He said that all the countries, especially US should revisit politically attractive policies like reduced dependence on fossil fuel to show care for the hungry people around the world.
The president said that the temporary suspension of bio fuel production, relaxing fuel blending rules and discouraging fresh investments in the ethanol production worldwide could boost supplies for people and livestock.
He informed that renewable energy production in the US has reached 15.2 billion gallons which was equivalent of about 40 per cent of total maize production which could be put to good use.
Dr. Murtaza said that ethanol-blended fuels accounted for 12 per cent or nine billion gallons of all automotive fuels sold in the US and every gallon was derived from 12 kilograms of corn.
He said that around 350 kg of corn was converted into fuel to fill the tank of a car which was sufficient enough to feed two persons in any developing country for a year.
He said that America was using 33 per cent of the corn production to make fuel which was satisfying 1.3 per cent of its total oil consumption.
He added that many countries were perusing bio fuels policy at a time when nearly 60 per cent of the world population was going hungry.
He urged the policy makers in Pakistan to realize the intensity of the situation and prepare for it by introducing pre-emptive mechanisms as it falls in the list of the mist vulnerable countries.
