Di tengah meroketnya harga minyak dunia dan inisiatif berbagai negara untuk mencari alternatif energi non-BBM, seperti misalnya biofuel, ternyata kini malah mulai menyulut perseteruan kata-kata diantara pemimpin dunia. Berikut adalah kutipan dari Bangkokpost.com edisi hari ini:
"Mr Ban and the UN agencies have criticised biofuel production as contributing to higher food prices. Thailand has begun use of ethanol and biodiesel. But the country's overall food production and agricultural exports have continued to increase each year, despite the push for additional energy sources. Last year, again, Thailand exported a record amount of rice, more than 9 million tonnes. It expects to export even more in 2008. The UN view is that biofuel crops are taking up precious agricultural land, leading to supply shortages, and putting millions at risk of starvation. One UN extremists called raising crops for ethanol and biofuel a crime against humanity." YKA =============== Di bawah ini kutipan selengkapnya: http://bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=127246 *The premier strikes back* BangkokPost.com Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Tuesday opened up with both barrels on the World Bank and the head of the United Nations for criticising food-producing countries like Thailand while letting oil exporters off the hook. (See also today's *Bangkok Post* editorial, Think globally but act locally.<http://www.bangkokpost.com/230408_News/23Apr2008_news20.php> ) "Let me ask the World Bank whether they talked to oil selling countries before pointing their fingers and blaming us, that we use rice fields to grow biofuel crops," he said at a press conference. As for the UN secretary-general, "Ban Ki-Moon is always complaining about agricultural countries but has paid no attention to oil exporters, who have really caused volatility in the whole world economy." The outburst by Mr Samak was expected, after the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and UN Food and Agricultural Organisation began criticising food-exporting countries for what they call a "crisis" of rising costs and food scarcity. Mr Samak is one of many Thais who believes world organisations have fallen far short of the mark on oil prices, which have caused huge economic problems including inflation. He also criticised the oil exporting countries directly. "They have a lot of oil, and are not running out of supplies, but they have unreasonably continued to raise and raise oil prices," he said. The World Bank and IMF, who have had correct but sometimes prickly relations ever since they managed the 1997 Asian currency crisis, have called on Thailand and other countries to consider reforming their farm policies. Mr Ban and the UN agencies have criticised biofuel production as contributing to higher food prices. Thailand has begun use of ethanol and biodiesel. But the country's overall food production and agricultural exports have continued to increase each year, despite the push for additional energy sources. Last year, again, Thailand exported a record amount of rice, more than 9 million tonnes. It expects to export even more in 2008. The UN view is that biofuel crops are taking up precious agricultural land, leading to supply shortages, and putting millions at risk of starvation. One UN extremists called raising crops for ethanol and biofuel a crime against humanity. The government, and not so respectfully either, disagrees. Its view is that there is lots of room for agriculture and biofuel development - "food-producing plants and energy plants" in the current Thai jargon. At the regular weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr Samak set up two committees to examine problems caused by high prices for food and for oil, almost all of which is imported. Mr Samak also told the media the government was studying how to use fallow land owned by the government to increase agricultural output. "Thai people have nothing to worry about at all," said Mr Samak, who is famous partly because of his exploits as a chef, including on a weekly TV cooking show. "I have asked the finance ministry to consider how to develop the government's own land for farm use so Thailand will still be the world's kitchen." International demand for Thai rice has soared after other top exporters, Vietnam and India, imposed limits on exports to ensure domestic supply. Prices within Thailand have risen more than 50 per cent, in parallel with a rise in world prices.
