Fuelling Destruction in Latin America: the real price of the drive for agrofuels

Septembre 2008, 48 p.

, by Les Amis de la Terre

A new report on the social impacts of the agrofuels boom.

Do the majority of farmers and peasants find themselves being assisted out of poverty? Does the production of soy,sugarcane and palm oil increase employment? Are the crops grown sustainably and without competing with food production? Who really benefits from these developments?

This report addresses these issues. It finds that the agrofuels boom is making existing social and environmental problems even worse, in several countries in Latin America. The main benefits of the boom are going to big business profits, and not local people, or the local environment.

* Read the report "Fuelling Destruction in Latin America: the real price of the drive for agrofuels" (pdf, 48 p.)