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India for bio-fuel crops, says
no to diversion of food crops
Thursday, October 23, 2008
NEW DELHI, India - India on Wednesday favoured cultivation of bio-fuel crops on degraded land rather than diverting food crops for this purpose and promised cooperation with developed countries to ensure food and energy security for all.
"We need a new global compact between the developed and the developing countries, between the land surplus and the labour surplus. We stand ready to cooperate with the world," Minister of State for Food and Public Distribution Akhilesh Prasad Singh said in a statement here.
The minister was addressing the International Food Festival in Milan in Italy.
Singh clarified India`s stand on bio-fuels. "Given this scenario, diversion of cereal producing land for production of bio-fuels is likely to be self-defeating," he said.
India`s policy has been to encourage use of non-cereal biomass, crop residues and cultivation of Jatropha on degraded and waste land for bio-fuel production, he said.
However, conversion of food-grains and edible oil seeds for producing bio-fuel is fraught with food security concerns, he added.
The minister called for a multi-pronged strategy to ensure food security and for boosting economic growth.
"We need to increase investments in rural infrastructure and agricultural research and development and transfer new technology to farmers to empower them to cope with challenges of climate change," he said.
© 2008 The Hindu
Source: The Hindu
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