The UK Government will today be asked to oppose European moves which would impose a 7% limit on the use of arable crops in biofuels.
NFU England will lead a delegation – it also includes representatives from the Renewable Energy Association and Seed Crushers and Oil Processors Association – to the meeting with Transport Minister Baroness Kramer.
Europe’s Council of Energy Ministers is due to vote on the controversial indirect land use change rules (ILUC) and the reduced inclusion limits on Thursday.
The delegation will also be asking for an increase in the amount of biofuel which can be included in UK domestic fuel blends and which is currently set at 4.75%.
NFU England said the biofuels sector made an important contribution to the UK economy. Its biofuels spokesman, Brett Askew, said the suggested ILUC rules were not based on robust science. “We currently import an estimated 80% of the animal feed consumed in the livestock, pig and poultry sectors. This cost nearly £7.5billion in 2012.
“However, at full capacity, the biofuels industry could help reduce that cost by more than £600million, which underlines the importance of biofuels and why the UK Government must demonstrate its support for sustainable industry in its action both at home and abroad.”
Simon Barry, the managing director of Tore-based farmers co-operative Highland Grain, said any limit on the use of arable crops, including oilseed rape, in biofuel could potentially be very bad news for Scottish growers.
“We rely on the German (biodiesel) market for trading oilseed rape out of Scotland,” he added.
Copa-Cogeca, the Brussels-based lobbying organisation for farm unions and farmer-owned co-operatives, will on Monday be hosting a briefing on the issue.
A spokesman for it last night said: “The EU biofuels supply chain – from farmers, through to crushers, traders and producers – are extremely worried by the proposed political agreement which is not backed up by science and which jeopardises the EU’s energy and climate change targets, feed supplies for animals as well as more than 200,000 jobs in rural areas.”
The limits have been suggested in the wake of food prices escalating because of the amount of crops now being used in fuel production in certain parts of the world.