Biofuels are a promising source of energy with major implications for global competitiveness, energy security and uncertain social and environmental impacts. Therefore, crafting policy and regulatory frameworks for biofuels nationally and internationally is likely to require intense debate, negotiations and compromise. Building on the current momentum that exists in almost all corners of the world, the stage could be set now for policies and instruments supportive of a biofuels strategy that would expand the benefits of globalization, and improve livelihoods and human wellbeing, while managing the social, economic and environmental challenges.

The objective of this dialogue was to discuss issues at the interface between biofuels, trade policy and sustainable development. More specifically, the dialogue presented three ICTSD research papers on “US Trade Policies on Biofuels and Sustainable Development”, by Jane EARLEY, “EU Support for Biofuels, ‘Environmental Sustainability’ Criteria, and Trade Policy”, by Alan SWINBANK, and “Proposals for Biofuel Certification and the Law of the WTO”, by Marsha ECHOLS. Copies of the papers were made available including the paper on “Biofuels Subsidies and the Law of the WTO” by Toni HARMER. Discussants were invited to react to these presentations followed by open discussions.

These papers are part of ICTSD’s Trade and Sustainable Energy series, published under its programme on Trade, Climate Change and Sustainable Energy, which aims to generate policy-oriented and solutions-focused knowledge on key issues at the interface between the multilateral trading system and various regimes and initiatives promoting the transition to a sustainable energy future.

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The global agricultural sector faces three major challenges in the 21st century:

• it must make good on its promise of poverty alleviation since some 70 percent of the world’s poorest people live in rural sectors and rely on agriculture;
• it must provide global food security in and sustainably meet increased demands from a growing population, changing dietary preferences and a growing reliance on agricultural feedstocks for energy production;
• it must adapt to climate change and, where possible, play a role in climate change mitigation.

There is a risk that these three challenges will be addressed separately, which would reduce their chances of success. Focusing on the climate change challenge alone, for example, could have negative impacts for food security and poverty alleviation, which in turn would weaken efforts to curb climate change. The world’s population will neither be able to contribute to or benefit from climate change mitigation unless it enjoys food security. Food security, particularly for the world’s poorest populations, and poverty alleviation requires greater investment in the agricultural sectors of developing countries. Such investment is hindered in part due to a distorted agricultural trade regime, which is still subject to high levels of subsidies, tariff and non-tariff barriers, and care must be taken not to create disproportionate or unjustified trade barriers under the guise of addressing climate change.

Recognizing the need to combat these major challenges in a coordinated manner, ICTSD and IPC propose to create an interdisciplinary platform of climate change, agricultural and trade experts to promote increased policy coherence, to ensure effective climate change mitigation and adaptation, food security and a more open and equitable global food system.

This side event in Bonn was part of this initiative. Its objective was to discuss issues at the interface of climate change, agricultural policy and trade to assist the UNFCCC negotiators understand the linkages to agriculture and trade, and likewise, inform agricultural policy, trade policy experts and stakeholders about the policy inter-linkages between these three fields.

This side event was webcasted by the UNFCCC Secretariat. See: http://unfccc.meta-fusion.com/kongresse/090329_AWG_Bonn/templ/ply_page.php?id_kongresssession=1642&player_mode=isdn_real

The global agricultural sector faces three major challenges in the 21st century:

• it must make good on its promise of poverty alleviation since some 70 percent of the world’s poorest people live in rural sectors and rely on agriculture;
• it must provide global food security in and sustainably meet increased demands from a growing population, changing dietary preferences and a growing reliance on agricultural feedstocks for energy production;
• it must adapt to climate change and, where possible, play a role in climate change mitigation.

There is a risk that these three challenges will be addressed separately, which would reduce their chances of success. Focusing on the climate change challenge alone, for example, could have negative impacts for food security and poverty alleviation, which in turn would weaken efforts to curb climate change. The world’s population will neither be able to contribute to or benefit from climate change mitigation unless it enjoys food security. Food security, particularly for the world’s poorest populations, and poverty alleviation requires greater investment in the agricultural sectors of developing countries. Such investment is hindered in part due to a distorted agricultural trade regime, which is still subject to high levels of subsidies, tariff and non-tariff barriers, and care must be taken not to create disproportionate or unjustified trade barriers under the guise of addressing climate change.

Recognizing the need to combat these major challenges in a coordinated manner, ICTSD and IPC propose to create an interdisciplinary platform of climate change, agricultural and trade experts to promote increased policy coherence, to ensure effective climate change mitigation and adaptation, food security and a more open and equitable global food system.

This 5 April dialogue in Bonn was part of this initiative. Its objective was to discuss issues at the interface of climate change, agricultural policy and trade to assist the UNFCCC negotiators understand the linkages to agriculture and trade, and likewise, inform agricultural policy, trade policy experts and stakeholders about the policy inter-linkages between these three fields. The dialogue also sought to outline priorities for research and analysis.