ePURE criticises new claims made by T&E

ePURE has hit back at claims made by Transport & Environment that Europe was wasting land the size of Ireland on biofuels.
Maik Marahrens, biofuels manager at T&E, said: “Biofuels are a failed experiment. To continue to burn food as fuel while the world is facing a growing global food crisis is borderline criminal. Countries like Germany and Belgium are discussing limiting food crop biofuels in response. The rest of Europe must follow suit.”
Julie Bos, EU climate justice policy advisor at Oxfam, added: “The EU’s biofuel policy is a catastrophe for hundreds of millions of people who are struggling to find their next meal. Not only does it surrender vast swathes of cropland to fuel cars, but it also pushes food prices even higher. European countries must once and for all stop burning food for fuel.”
However, ePURE hit back arguing no one was 'burning food' for fuel.
In a statement the organisation said: “Also, your arguments are inherently contradictory: the EU needs more food production, but also needs to stop farming to return farmland to nature, but also could put solar farms on agricultural land? How does 'Let them eat solar panels' address a food crisis or increase biodiversity?
“The facts remain clear: EU biofuels production must meet strict sustainability criteria, is limited in legislation, and makes a direct, strategic contribution to European food security by producing food, feed, captured biogenic CO2 and renewable fuel to reduce GHG emissions from the cars Europeans continue to buy and drive.
“Figures from the European Commission show a completely different reality from what you report: EU renewable ethanol production requires a minuscule proportion of EU agricultural land but helps displace a significant amount of fossil fuel. Sustainable biofuels are by far the main renewable source of energy in EU transport. Once again your lobbying against their use to reduce GHG emissions and mitigate climate change helps only one interest: fossil.”