Biofuels and food are issues that WILL affect everyone.

Leaders warn on biofuels and food

Two Latin American leaders have issued warnings about the effects of biofuel production on food supplies.

Speaking at the UN in New York, Bolivian President Evo Morales said the development of biofuels harmed the world's poorest people.

And President Alan Garcia of Peru said using land for biofuels was putting food out of reach for poor people.

Meanwhile UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is hosting a meeting to discuss European policy encouraging biofuels.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Brown said that the UK should be "more selective in our support" for biofuels.

Campaigners say providing an renewable alternative for conventional fuels can help stop global warming.

But as food prices climb worldwide, there is a fear that development of biofuels could reduce the production of badly-needed basic foodstuffs.

The EU has come under criticism for its target of getting 10% of road transport fuel from crops by 2020.

The head of the UN World Food Programme and the chief of the African Development Bank chief are among those attending the London meeting.

Bio-ethanol project

Opening a UN forum on the global impact of climate change on indigenous peoples, Mr Morales said that capitalism should be scrapped if the planet is to be saved from the effects of climate change.

"If we want to save our planet earth, we have a duty to put an end to the capitalist system," he said.

Bolivia's left-wing president said unbridled industrial development was responsible for the pillaging of natural resources.

But, he said, "some South American presidents who were talking about biofuels but did not understand what they were talking about".

The BBC's Daniel Schweimler says this is a clear reference to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who says his country has enough land to grow food crops as well as plants to produce biofuels.

Last week, he rejected allegations that biofuels are responsible for the recent rise in global food prices.

And on Monday, Brazil announced a major joint venture in Ghana to grow sugar cane for bio-ethanol.

"In Ghana we are developing a project that will result in growing 27,000 hectares (of sugar cane) for the production of 150 million litres of ethanol per year that are destined for the Swedish market," said President Lula, who was in Accra for the occasion.

For his part, Peru's President Garcia said the demand for bio-fuels was putting world food production under threat.

Like many Latin American nations, Peru is a producer of ethanol and other biofuels which compete for land with food crops and have pushed up prices.

Just over 40% of Peruvians - some 12 million people - live below the poverty line and have been hit hard by the sharp price increases, the BBC's Dan Collyns reports from Lima.