Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Nestle blames biofuels for high food prices
BBC ^ | July 18, 2012 | James Melik

Posted on 07/18/2012 2:03:37 PM PDT by CutePuppy

The head of the world's largest food producer believes high prices are due to the growing of crops for biofuels.

"The time of cheap food prices is over," says Nestle chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe.

He is highly critical of the rise in the production of bio-diesel, saying this puts pressure on food supplies by using land and water that would otherwise be used to grow crops for human or animal consumption.

"If no food was used for fuel, the prices would come down again - that is very clear," he says.

"We are now in a new world with a completely different level of food prices because of the direct link with fuel," he says.

He says biofuels are only affordable because of the high subsidies they receive, particularly in the US.

"It is absolutely unacceptable and cannot be justified," he says.

"There is one demand that I have, and that is not to use food for fuel."

Water crisis

Mr Brabeck-Letmathe says politicians have not understood that the food market and the oil market are the same - they are both calorific markets.

"The only difference is that with the food market you need 2,500 calories per person per day, whereas in the energy market you need 50,000 calories per person," he says.

When politicians said they wanted to replace 20% of fossil fuels with biofuels, it meant increasing the production of crops threefold, according to Mr Brabeck-Letmathe.

< snip > .....

Agriculture uses 70% of world's water consumption and the public must be made aware of the inefficient usage of this precious resource, Mr Brabeck-Letmathe adds.

"It takes about 4,600 litres of water to produce one litre of pure ethane oil if it comes from sugar, and it takes 1,900 litres of water if it comes from palm oil," he says.

.....

(Excerpt) Read more at m.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: africa; biofuels; energy; environmentalism; food; foodprices; footprint; horizontalspace; inefficient; naturalresources; nestle; palmoil; prices; resources; sugar; sustainability; unsustainable; water
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last
To: Spktyr

Here’s what I got that’s at least 20 yrs old run its whole life on Indiana E10 (FWIW all our gas comes from BP Whiting):

John Deere tractor (Kawasaki)
Wheel Horse tractor (Kohler)
Sears mower (Tecumseh)
MTD mower (Briggs)
MTD trimmer (Mitsubishi)
Sears gen set (Briggs)
Troy-Bilt tiller (Briggs)
Unkn power washer (Honda)
Polaris ATV (Subaru)
67 Camaro

I haven’t seen any of the problems you seem to have. Maybe we got better alky here in corn country.


41 posted on 07/18/2012 4:50:58 PM PDT by nascarnation
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

All of those (except maybe the Camaro and Polaris) are low RPM low power low heat engines. These seem to be less prone to the problem - but it’s a huge problem for motorcycles and boats for sure, and it’s not unknown even with lawn equipment.

Just because you’re not having problems doesn’t mean that problems aren’t widespread. Also, when was the last time you checked inside the Camaro’s fuel bowls?


42 posted on 07/18/2012 4:59:05 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

I’ll let you know when stuff starts breaking down.
Or maybe I’ll die first.
All my stuff and me is old and getting older.

Well except my other street cars.


43 posted on 07/18/2012 5:02:47 PM PDT by nascarnation
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

More info re: the corn shit gas damaging stuff:

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/1900-2000-2600-1950-1968/191780-ethanol-fuel-has-screwed-up-my-carburetors.html

http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/showthread.php?4315-EU2000-Honda-generator-troubleshooting


44 posted on 07/18/2012 5:04:14 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

Why don’t you folks just buy E0 if your having all these problems?
http://pure-gas.org/

I sure would if I was having all the headaches, or maybe avgas like 100LL which is 5 bucks but has some nice lead in it.


45 posted on 07/18/2012 5:10:23 PM PDT by nascarnation
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: rockinqsranch
Do you know the history of those engines? Were they the original engines? Were they rebuilt, or what?

True, maintenance does play a role as well as bum luck itself. I have nothing against biofuels in general but the feds should not be in the business of mandating anything of that sort, period. If there is a way and/or demand, the free market will decide. I think we should be eating our food and not burning it in our engines, we have plenty of oil, coal, methane, etc., here. The two big obstacles are the EPA and Jugears himself.
46 posted on 07/18/2012 5:11:42 PM PDT by Nowhere Man (June 28th, 2012, the Day America Jumped The Shark.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

I have to drive over 60 miles to get to the nearest station selling E0. The economics start not making sense real fast.


47 posted on 07/18/2012 5:13:27 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

Hit post too soon - E0 is not available within economical radius of most people in the US thanks to EPA mandates.


48 posted on 07/18/2012 5:18:15 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr
It is proven to be ruining smaller engines, such as those in boats, lawn equipment, and motorcycles. Some of them have their carbs destroyed, others are actually seeing destructive deposits in the engine proper.

It’s less of an issue with cars, but older carbureted cars are having fuel system problems as are older fuel-injected cars that are needing to have every rubber part (and the injectors) replaced because of it.


I work in an auto parts store and we do carry additives for older cars to help with the ethanol problem. I'll have to take a closer look at it though.
49 posted on 07/18/2012 5:21:44 PM PDT by Nowhere Man (June 28th, 2012, the Day America Jumped The Shark.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

I don’t understand it either. I finally went to the new high dollar low VOC pass thru jacketed line to see if I can get some durability.

I would think it would be cracking from the inside out if it was the diesel fuel. What I see is fine checking on the outside jacket followed by cracks on the end of the hose that progress further inside over time. I have split the line and don’t see checks in the middle of inner line. I don’t see where (max) 10% waste engine oil (mostly) or mineral based hydraulic fluid (rarely) should wipe it out. It lasts a few months.

It wouldn’t be so bad but the tank switch valve is even with the front of the side tank and so you can hardly get to the lines.


50 posted on 07/18/2012 5:24:34 PM PDT by Clay Moore (The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left. Ecclesiastes 10:2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

I should have said newer cars with fancier engines — my 2001 Saturn with 172,000 miles doesn’t seem to care what I feed it.


51 posted on 07/18/2012 5:24:50 PM PDT by Sioux-san
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

Yeah but if you’re having all these problems, wouldn’t it make sense to put in bulk storage or have a jumbo tank in the back of a pickup to fuel out of?


52 posted on 07/18/2012 5:29:45 PM PDT by nascarnation
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: CutePuppy

Ask hispanics how much corn toritlllas cost since ethenol.


53 posted on 07/18/2012 5:33:18 PM PDT by DainBramage
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clay Moore

I’m retired so I don’t have access to any of the suppliers any more. You might try emailing the mfgr tech service if you can find an address off the net, and maybe include some pics.

If you can get past the gatekeeper and actually find an engineer or service guy they usually are interested in looking at failures.


54 posted on 07/18/2012 5:34:05 PM PDT by nascarnation
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Sioux-san

Your 2001 Saturn was designed with an eye towards potentially running on E85 (though it was never certified for it) and many GM corporate parts were rated for E85 as they were intended to be used in FFVs, so your Saturn is at least in part prepped for higher levels of ethanol in its fuel than most other vehicles.


55 posted on 07/18/2012 5:36:18 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

Can’t do either without permitting and storage safety issues around here. There is also the matter of how much I go through - in a busy week, I will easily empty a 55 gallon drum before the week is out, even with the motorcycle.


56 posted on 07/18/2012 5:39:00 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

Basically, I have no idea what I am talking about, and you just made me feel better that my car isn’t going to crap out if they put more corn in my tank. Aren’t there other biofuels we could be mass producing that won’t price food out of people’s reach?


57 posted on 07/18/2012 6:28:13 PM PDT by Sioux-san
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: rem_mitchell
No mention of the drought that is hitting 26 states.

There was an "honorable mention" by Paul Conway, COB of Cargill, who also strongly opposes mandates for biofuels, but points to other contributary factors for high food prices.

He said that these and other factors, including demographics, worldwide rise in the standards of living and the 20% reduction in agricultural investment, all have contributed to higher food prices.

He also noted that most of these crops, particularly in the U.S., are later converted into sweeteners (read corn syrup) and animal feed which then raises the prices of meat and other products.

58 posted on 07/18/2012 6:37:47 PM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: CutePuppy

Thanks. I was sloppy in my reading.


59 posted on 07/18/2012 6:52:12 PM PDT by rem_mitchell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Sioux-san

Yes - we can and should be (if we’re going to mandate alcohol in fuel) making alcohol from stuff like switchgrass and other such weeds that don’t replace food crops or take up food crop growing space.

As for the Saturn - well, it may crap out soon, but that’s because it’s a Saturn, not because of the fuel. :)


60 posted on 07/18/2012 7:30:49 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson