ActionAid has launched a campaign to pressure the UK government to reconsider its policy on biofuels. The government plans to source 10% of transport fuel from biofuels by 2020, but this could force 600 million more people into hunger. Biofuels are often made from food crops, so diverting these crops increases food prices and causes land grabbing in developing nations. The government provides subsidies and incentives for biofuel production despite evidence that many biofuels are worse for the climate than fossil fuels. ActionAid is calling for an end to these subsidies and incentives and wants people to contact the government by June 2010 to voice concerns over the negative impacts of biofuels on global hunger and poverty.

1. Meals Per Gallon ActionAid launches campaign on biofuels Photo: Atul Loke/Panos/ActionAid

2. Flickr Photo: Nic’s Events The UK government is currently planning how it will meet reduced emissions targets for the transport sector set by the EU

3. Flickr Photo: Left to right, diby graham, david.nikonvscannon The government should be changing attitudes towards transport and encouraging investment in cleaner technologies +

4. Instead, it is planning to get 10% of all transport fuel from biofuels by 2020

5. Targets like the UK’s could force an additional 600 million people into hunger by 2020 photo credit: ActionAid Photo: ActionAid Ban Van Tuan is a Vietnamese farmer whose family has been trapped by global food price rises. Everyone has to skip at least one meal a day to cut costs.

6. Flickr photo: Kevin Lallier This is because biofuels are usually made from crops such as maize, wheat and sugar which should be on a plate rather than in a petrol tank

7. In the developing world agricultural land is being grabbed to meet the demand for biofuel crops Photo Credit: Tim Rice/ActionAid

8. Local people are losing their land without consultation or compensation which means they can no longer feed their families Photo: James Oatway/PANOS/ActionAid “ Our livelihood was dependent on the farms – and they’ve taken the farms.” Julio Ngoene, village chief and farmer, Mozambique, November 2009

9. Unbelievably, many industrial biofuels are actually worse for climate change than the fossil fuels they are designed to replace Flickr Photo :Matt and Kim Rudge

10. And, fertilisers used to grow biofuels release nitrous oxides which are AT LEAST 300 times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide Flickr Photo: selfhatingotaku

11. ActionAid has launched a campaign to pressure the UK government to put the breaks on biofuel production Flickr Photo: Johannes Pape

12. We are calling for an end to the government subsidies and financial incentives for biofuels which are driving land grabbing in the developing world

13. We need your help to convince the government that putting poor people’s food into cars is a bad idea

18. www.actionaid.org.uk