4th November 2010

Foolish Food Policies

Statement by Viv Forbes, Chairman, The Carbon Sense Coalition

The Carbon Sense Coalition today accused western politicians of creating a food crisis with foolish food policies.

The Chairman of "Carbon Sense", Mr Viv Forbes, said that climate alarmism and green extremism was being used to destroy farming and deny land to food production.

"It is no surprise that the world is facing a looming shortage of food and edible oils.

"Every market has two sides - demand and supply.

"On the demand side, increasing population and prosperity, especially in China, Brazil and India, must boost the demand for food.

"Normally this would increase food prices thus encouraging more production by farmers.

"Unfortunately, the western world is afflicted by an epidemic of anti-food legislation.

"Four foolish food policies stand out.

"Firstly, we have a massive diversion of cropland from producing food for humans to producing ethanol and biofuels for cars.

"Secondly, we have destruction of cropping and grazing land by conversion to carbon credit forests.

"Thirdly, there is a gradual suffocation of grazing land by a new politically protected species - woody weeds.

"Finally, we have the gradual creation of agricultural and horticultural deserts by the artificial droughts caused by the progressive political squeeze on irrigation water.

"If politicians are silly enough to add a carbon tax to the costs of fuels, electricity, cement and transport, even more farmers will give up and retire to the beach.

"We are told that all this anti-food legislation will save the environment and cool the climate by a degree or so over the next century.

"The real aim is to harvest green votes.

"Starving people will not appreciate this barren harvest."

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