Research and analysis

Can biofuels policy work for food security?

Promoting further discussion and research into the merits of temporarily flexing or otherwise relaxing biofuels mandates.

Documents

Can biofuels policy work for food security?

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Details

An analytical paper for discussion

The Bioenergy Strategy commits the UK Government to further work to investigate the merits of temporarily flexing or otherwise relaxing biofuels mandates at times of agricultural price pressures.

The current paper presents work by Defra analysts to explore some of the potential implications of this idea.

It is intended to promote further discussion and research into this innovative policy instrument, and to present the results of a simple exercise to model the implications of such an instrument for global agricultural markets.

The ideas presented in this research need to be explored in greater detail. In advance of that, the Government has not taken a firm view on its conclusions.

Published 27 June 2012