The price of food is rising dramatically; a food crisis has broken out in certain parts of the world. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund warn that the high food prices can lead to wars. `In the news, there are many discussions about the dangers of biofuels with the imminent scarcity of food in mind. But biofuels are not the most important reason that prices are rising exponentially,' Lovett is quick to add.
A quarter of his working hours are spent in his office at the Institutenweg as professor of Sustainable Development in a North South Perspective for the Center for Clean Technology and Environmental Policy (CTSM). His other hours are spent at the University of York as chair of the Centre for Ecology, Law and Policy.
With just a few graphs, Lovett illustrates how meat consumption in a country like China has increased in the past ten years, while at the same time, the cultivation of soy beans in Brazil has increased. `It's not fair to say that biofuels are to blame for the increased food prices. The worldwide demand for food has just grown incredibly. We grow acres full of soy beans to feed our cattle to provide our demand for meat. If we would all become vegetarians, it would solve a lot more than to stop production of biofuels.'
Food shortage should not be an argument to stop biofuels, according to Lovett. He thinks biofuels are inevitable. `Not because fossil fuel is running out. We have enough for the next seventy years,' he smiles. `Moreover, scientists find new sources, all the time. Ironically, global warming contributes to that. The melting of the ice caps gives us access to gas and oil fields, which were deemed inaccessible.'
Biofuels are still needed to stop climate change, thinks Lovett. `If we want to stop global warming and continue our economic growth at the same time, the choice is simple. We could change the way we live. Everyone should not use their cars, stop flying and stop printing. But that is highly unrealistic. The other, only viable solution is to find a technological substitute for fossil fuels. And that is biofuels.'
These new fuels are often sorted into two categories: first and second generation fuels. First generation fuels are biofuels from food sources like corn, palm oil and sugarcane. These biofuels can add to the food shortage, although to a limited extent, thinks Lovett.
Therefore second generation biofuels offer a great chance, says Lovett. Biodiesel and ethanol are obtained from inedible crops like grass or wood shavings, and therefore they do not cause a dent in food production. `Technologically speaking it's already possible to produce these fuels, but we need to upscale to mass production.'
Above all, a third generation of biofuels is on its way: fuels obtained from seaweed and algae. Lovett: `That is technologically possible, but if you ask me, we probably don't need to go that far. It just shows the endless possibilities for biofuels without using food crops.'
Lovett thinks we can upscale production of second generation biofuels in the next ten years in order to benefit from it. In 2010 the EU standard says that 5.75 percent of fuel used for transport needs to be biofuel. The professor is in doubt on how realistic that number is. `We talk a lot about goals and standards; the awareness is there, but no one is acting according to plan. To illustrate: only Germany and Sweden were on target in 2005.'
Still, Lovett thinks other European countries will begin to take action. Oil prices are rising so hard that we need to look for alternatives. Moreover, oil comes from unstable regions like the Middle East and Russia. `European countries don't want to be dependent anymore. You saw how frightful Europe was when Russia wanted to stop gas to the Ukraine. Political stability is one of the most important reasons for the EU to change to biofuel, next to climate change.'
Lovett says a third reason is the economical possibilities for the new, weaker member states of the EU, like Romania and Bulgaria. `Agriculture subsidies for growing crops used to produce biodiesel can strengthen the economy of these countries. Likewise chances are there for developing countries,' thinks Lovett.
Together with his CSTM-colleague Joy Clancy, he is working on a book on biofuels and poverty. `Developing countries can be the oil fields of the future if they start to grow grass for biofuel production.'
