Proposals by Germany and the UK to temporarily reduce biofuel consumption in G7 countries failed to gain support at a meeting of the summit held in Bavaria, according to media reports quoted by AgriCensus, with the USA and Canada said to be leading opposition to the move.
Officials from the USA and Canada said G7 countries should hold back from introducing a biofuel mandate waiver due to a recent spike in fossil fuel prices, Reuters quoted an unnamed source as saying in a report on 26 June.
In an earlier report on 23 June, Reuters had reported that Germany and the UK would be asking other G7 countries to consider reducing biofuel blending requirements in a bid to increase supplies of grains and vegetable oils amid fears of a global food crisis.
In the UK, a statement published by the UK Prime Minister’s office on 26 June said Boris Johnson had encouraged G7 leaders to look at biofuel use as the use of grain for biofuel globally was contributing to reduced availability and increased costs for human consumption.
The government was reported as saying in a report by The Telegraph on 24 June that a 10% reduction in the use of crops for biofuels by G7 countries could lower maize prices by as much as 40% and wheat prices by 10%.
Johnson was considering rowing back on a pledge to scale up biofuel production in a bid to ease the global food crisis, according to a report by The Telegraph on 24 June.
A government spokesperson said the UK remained committed to using biofuels and other renewable fuels to decarbonise transport and meet its climate goals.
“However, discussions with our partners continue around temporarily reducing the production of crop-based biofuels to help address the global food price crisis,” the spokesperson said.
