Policy seminar: Food vs. Fuel 2.0 – impacts of biofuel production on agricultural markets and food security

by Charlotte Hebebrand
OPEN ACCESS | CC-BY-4.0

Substantial increases in biofuel production were thought to have contributed to the steep food price spikes witnessed in 2007-08. Now, with global food prices down from recent peaks but still high, the “food vs. fuel” question—the issue of how biofuel production affects food supplies and food price inflation—is being revisited.

To explore this important question, IFPRI and the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) co-sponsored a January 24 discussion by market analysts and experts. The policy seminar, led by USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer and IFPRI Senior Research Fellow Joe Glauber (who serve as AMIS Chair and Secretary, respectively), looked at current global biofuel trends and projections to examine the food vs. fuel question during the current period of food price inflation concerns.