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Biofuel Obligation bill scrapped by Government

In reaction to the recent announcement that the Sustainable Biofuels Obligation Bill has been dropped by the Government Nicky Henry, Climate Justice Lead at Oxfam Aotearoa said:

“Oxfam is delighted that the government listened to the advice and scientific evidence that biofuels mandates are harmful as they take food and land away from people.

“This is a win for us all, but especially for the farmers, families, and communities we work with across the Pacific and beyond. We know that there are better ways we can reduce emissions and we look forward to seeing the government step up in other areas. Oxfam calls the government to urgently invest in better public transport, electric cars, and to price agriculture emissions properly.”

/ENDS

Notes:

The bill was before the Environment Select Committee who heard oral submissions about it on 1 February 2023. Citizen-powered environmental and global justice groups including Don’t Burn Our Future, Oxfam Aotearoa, 350.org, Environment and Conservation Organisations Aotearoa, Climate Justice Taranaki, the National Women’s Council and the Vegan Society opposed this bill in their submissions. Fossil fuel companies including BP, Mobil and Gull were supportive of it.

Oxfam reacts to NZ Government’s biofuel obligation

The Government’s biofuel obligation risks doing more harm than good for the climate and global hunger, said Nick Henry, Climate Justice Lead at Oxfam Aotearoa: 

“We welcome the decision to rule out the use of palm and soy oil and to limit the use of food and feed to produce biofuel. But this does not go far enough. As our recent briefing paper details, all crop-based biofuels contribute to the increasing levels of hunger across the world. 

“Under a similar system in the EU, Europe is burning 17,000 tonnes of rapeseed and sunflower oil per day – the equivalent of 19 million 1L bottles every day – that could be used for food. What’s more, if the Government move ahead with its mandate, it will contribute to land use changes around the world which are extremely harmful to local communities and to the climate. 

“Minister Woods is clearly committed to managing the impacts of transport on the environment. We acknowledge changes have been made to improve the biofuel obligation, but it is crucial Minister Woods goes further to reduce the serious harm a biofuels obligation can have on people and planet. The Government must rule out using any food crops and have strict standards to not only protect the environment, but also human rights. 

“We look forward to working with the Government to inform and improve its approach to sustainable transport.” 

/ENDS

Notes 

Oxfam Aotearoa briefing paper on biofuels: https://www.oxfam.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Dont-Burn-Food-Policy-Briefing.pdf  

According to the European Federation for Transport and Environment, 18 percent of the world’s vegetable oil production goes to biodiesel. Nearly all of this is fit for human consumption. In recent years, Europe put 58 percent of all rapeseed and 9 percent of all sunflower oil consumed in the region into its cars and trucks. See: https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/food-vs-fuel-europe-burns-19-million-bottles-of-sunflower-and-rapeseed-oil-every-day-in-cars/ 

Oxfam reaction to first shipment of grain leaving Ukraine

In response to reports that the first shipment of grain left Ukraine today, Eric Munoz Oxfam America Food and Agriculture expert said:

“Oxfam welcomes this news but warns that lifting the grains blockade alone will not solve the global hunger crisis. The recent hostilities in Odessa and Mykolaiv show that the exports agreement is still fragile and we call on all parties to ensure the swift delivery of grains.

“What the world is facing today is not a new crisis. While the war in Ukraine has contributed to skyrocketing food prices, global hunger was already on the rise– as many as 828 million people were hungry in 2021.

“We need to rethink how we feed our world. Governments must build a sustainable and just food system that does not harm the planet or already vulnerable people, and that can withstand similar economic shocks. Leaders must scale-up investments that support small-scale farmers who already feed one-third of the world’s population.

“They must also provide lifesaving aid to meet the UN global appeal to help those already on the brink of starvation.

“International law protects civilian infrastructure, such as ports and silos for storing food. They should never be subject to attack as moving food in conflict zones is essential to saving lives.”

 

Notes to editors

FAO’s “State of Food Insecurity and Nutrition in the World 2022” report stated that as many as 828 million people were hungry in 2021, an increase of 150 million since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

FAO research states that small family farmers produce a third of the world’s food.

 

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Unprecedented spike in food prices puts Yemenis at risk of extreme hunger

Yemen is facing unprecedented rises in the price of food putting millions more people in danger of catastrophic hunger, Oxfam warned today.

Already exhausted by over seven years of conflict, Yemen has been hit hard by the worsening global food crises. The prices of wheat, flour, cooking oil, eggs and sugar have all increased by more than a third since March. Such price hikes haven’t been seen since the country was subject to a blockade and never for such a prolonged period.

Yemen imports 90 per cent of its food, including 42 per cent of its wheat from Ukraine. Importers have warned that stocks may run out in the coming months and that global increase in costs will challenge their ability to secure wheat imports into Yemen. Even after last week’s welcome announcement that Ukraine will be able to export grains, the effects of the major disruption in the food supply will be felt for some time to come. Any drop in global prices could well be short-lived and may not translate into a reduction in cost for ordinary Yemenis. In a country where many people depend on bread for most of their daily food to survive, this could push millions towards starvation.

Ferran Puig, Oxfam in Yemen Country Director, said: “This unprecedented rise in food prices threatens the lives of millions of people who are now in real danger of starvation.

“Families who have been pushed to the brink by seven years of conflict are being tipped over the edge as the prices of basic food rises beyond their reach.

“World leaders must act immediately to prevent catastrophic hunger and a worsening humanitarian crisis.”

A temporary extension to the Yemen-wide truce in June has bought some relief, but the situation remains volatile and this, coupled with a wider economic crisis, rising food prices and an ailing agricultural sector – due in large part to the effects of climate change – is making life even harder for the Yemeni people – nearly 80 per cent of whom are in need of humanitarian assistance while the humanitarian response remains only 27 per cent funded.

Between March and June this year, the price of basic foods increased by up to 45 per cent.

  • Flour increased by 38 per cent
  • Cooking oil increased by 45 per cent
  • Sugar increased by 36 per cent
  • Rice increased by 30 per cent
  • Canned beans increased by 38 per cent
  • Powder milk increased by 36 per cent
  • Eggs increased by 35 per cent

The average national price of the Minimum Food Basket (MFB) has increased by 48 per cent since December 2021 and 25 per cent since the start of the year, with the increasing costs of food imports further exacerbated by exchange rate fluctuations. Yemen’s national currency, the rial, has lost its value by 28 per cent since the beginning of the year.

Petrol and diesel prices also increased by 43 per cent in the first quarter of the year. Increased cost of fuel and an unseasonable drought caused by rising temperatures globally have caused more suffering, especially for farmers. Many Yemenis depend on agriculture and livestock as a main source of income but have seen their crops damaged or delayed and livestock dying during the current drought.

As the need grows, the lack of resources to respond comes with devastating consequences. The World Food Program has been forced to reduce the amount of aid it provides, with five million recipients of food aid now set to receive less than half of their daily calorie requirement. Eight million will receive just 25 per cent.

Families told Oxfam that to survive they are having to borrow from better-off neighbors, go into debt with food sellers, and skip meals so their children can have more to eat.

Around 56 per cent of the four million internally displaced people have no source of income at all. Women and children who make up around 77 per cent of the displaced population are at greatest risk of starvation.

Arwa, a divorced mother of two who also cares for her mother and sister said: “I struggle to afford basic food due to high prices. My mother and I reduce how much we eat, and only have two meals a day, so the children have enough. Before we could have chicken or fish every other day, or meat once a week, now we barely afford to have chicken once a week and prices of vegetables increased so we can’t afford even half of what we could last year.”

Oxfam in Yemen is supporting people to earn a living, providing basic services like clean water, sanitation, cash, and establishing solar energy at household and community levels. In 2021 we were able to help more than 23,000 households.

Oxfam is calling for the international community to facilitate the import of food supplies into Yemen by reducing obstacles, financing grain imports, and providing debt relief for Yemen.

Above all, Yemen needs a permanent end to conflict so people can safely live, learn, and earn a living. We are calling on all parties to extend the truce in the coming days as part of the path towards a sustainable peace.

Notes to editors

Source for per cent of grain imports: Yemen humanitarian response plan, April 2022: https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-response-plan-2022-april-2022

WFP statement, July 4 2022: https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-high-levels-food-insecurity-and-reduced-rations-dg-echo-ipc-wfp-media-echo-daily-flash-04-july-2022

WFP beneficiaries in IPC phase four and five will now receive less than 50 per cent of their daily calorie requirement. The remaining eight million will receive just 25 per cent.

Oxfam reacts to Ukraine and Russia’s recently signed grain deal

In reaction to Ukraine and Russia’s recently signed grain deal, Max Lawson, Oxfam International’s Inequality Policy & Advocacy Lead said:

“This is extremely important news that puts people before politics. The deal will help calm spiralling food prices that have fuelled poverty and hunger worldwide.

“It will help countries already mired in hunger crises, which relied on Ukraine and Russia for their wheat imports until the war broke out. This includes Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, which have experienced soaring food prices amidst the worst drought in nearly 40 years, and Yemen.

“We have already seen an immediate reaction on global markets. The price of wheat is down 5 percent right now. But this drop in global prices may not translate into an immediate reduction in the cost of grocery items. This is especially true if billionaire traders hoard wheat as it becomes available in the market.

“This agreement alone won’t solve the hunger crisis impacting multiple countries worldwide. We need a concerted global effort to ensure everyone has equal access to affordable, nutritious food. That means fixing our deeply unequal food system.

“It is critical that food is not used as a weapon of war. Grains must be able to move swiftly to countries most in need. It is equally important that aid organisations are able to purchase this wheat and get it to those who desperately need it.”

Donor pledges must end hunger in Syria

In reaction to the pledges made today at the Brussels conference on Syria, Oxfam in Syria Country Director, Moutaz Adham, said:  

“The pledges made today are welcomed and show that the international community has not forgotten Syrians.

“However, donor’s priorities do not reflect the situation in Syria. For over a decade, there has been too much focus on emergency aid with limited focus on long term solutions to problems like lack of food and water. What the Syrian people need is schools and hospitals, homes that can stand and are cleared of rubble and old bombs, and jobs, so they can feed their families and stop relying on aid. Humanitarian agencies haven’t been able to provide for the long term needs of Syrians due to political considerations. These politics are denying Syrians a future and causing more Syrians to mire in poverty.

“Syrians have never been so hungry – 3 in 5 people do not know where their next meal will come from. One month’s living costs equals two months’ salary. The war in Ukraine will only increase hunger and poverty.

“Last year, donors only gave half the money needed to help people in Syria. Syrians cannot afford for this to happen yet again this year. Donors need to think long-term. Short-term solutions are not good enough.”

Notes to the editors 

Copyright © 2024 Oxfam Aotearoa.

Oxfam is a worldwide development organisation that mobilises the power of people against injustice. Oxfam Aotearoa is a registered charity with the New Zealand Charities Register (registration CC24641). Donations are tax refundable.

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