SLIP has raised the issue of the negative impact of the growth of biofuels on food production in Sierra Leone with Minister Joe Costelloe and Minister Pat Rabbitte. Both Minsters expressed sympathy with the concerns raised by SLIP.
Last week Minister Pat Rabbitte’s made the following remarks to the EU Council of Energy Ministers, which we hope will inform policy direction :
“I have over the last while met with a number of stakeholders on this particular issue including a number of NGOs who wanted to discuss various issues relating to this proposal such as for example the potential negative impacts on food production in the developing world. The NGOs made a very strong case about the negative impacts for some countries particularly in Africa and all of these concerns should be taken into account during the discussions on the impact of indirect land use change on greenhouse gas emissions resulting from biofuels”. Minister Pat Rabbitte