La crise alimentaire, le développement durable et les biocarburants : perspectives d’avenir

Les biocarburants, extraits des céréales ou d’autres denrées alimentaires, connaissent actuellement un intérêt grandissant notamment comme substitut de l’énergie fossile. Toutefois, l’utilisation de produits comestibles à des fins de production de biocarburants a été récemment qualifiée de crime contre l’humanité, puisqu’elle contribue à la hausse des prix des denrées alimentaires sur le marché mondial et à l’intensification du phénomène de famine. Afin d’évaluer l’effet du marché des biocarburants sur la crise alimentaire mondiale, une analyse basée sur les grands axes du développement durable (économique, social et environnemental) a été effectuée. Sur le plan économique, les biocarburants entrent en compétition avec les denrées alimentaires et entraînent un accroissement des prix à l’échelle mondiale. Sur le plan social, les biocarburants exacerbent l’insécurité alimentaire et la malnutrition mondiales en raison de la diminution de la disponibilité de la nourriture et de l’importante utilisation d’eau pour l’irrigation des cultures. Sur le plan environnemental, les biocarburants auront des effets sur la qualité des écosystèmes par l’épuisement des ressources hydriques, la pollution des sols par les engrais et la perte de biodiversité. Des biocarburants faits à partir de ressources non comestibles sont actuellement à l’étude et semblent offrir des solutions prometteuses. Il ne reste qu’à souhaiter qu’une étude d’impacts soit effectuée avant l’exploitation massive de ces nouvelles technologies, afin d’éviter des effets indésirables tels que ceux créés par les biocarburants de première génération.Biofuels, extracted from cereals and other food crops, are attracting greater interest, especially as a substitute for fossil energy. However, the use of food products for biofuel production has been recently described as crime against humanity, since it contributes to raise the world market food prices and intensifying the world hunger. To assess the effect of the biofuels market on the global food crisis, an analysis based on key dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) was performed. Economically, biofuels compete with food, which causes an increase in food prices. In social terms, this energy may increase food insecurity and malnutrition via decreased availability of food for consumption, but also because of the significant amount of water used for irrigation of crops. On the environmental front, the market for biofuels will affect the quality of ecosystems through the depletion of water resources, soil pollution by fertilizers and loss of biodiversity. Biofuels made from raw materials other than food products are currently being studied and appear to offer promising solutions. It is advisable to conduct an environmental and social impacts assessment before massive exploitation, in order to avoid side effects, such as those created by the first generation of biofuels

La crise alimentaire, le développement durable et les biocarburants : perspectives d’avenir

Biofuels, extracted from cereals and other food crops, are attracting greater interest, especially as a substitute for fossil energy. However, the use of food products for biofuel production has been recently described as crime against humanity, since it contributes to raise the world market food prices and intensifying the world hunger. To assess the effect of the biofuels market on the global food crisis, an analysis based on key dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) was performed. Economically, biofuels compete with food, which causes an increase in food prices. In social terms, this energy may increase food insecurity and malnutrition via decreased availability of food for consumption, but also because of the significant amount of water used for irrigation of crops. On the environmental front, the market for biofuels will affect the quality of ecosystems through the depletion of water resources, soil pollution by fertilizers and loss of biodiversity. Biofuels made from raw materials other than food products are currently being studied and appear to offer promising solutions. It is advisable to conduct an environmental and social impacts assessment before massive exploitation, in order to avoid side effects, such as those created by the first generation of biofuels