Transcript Document

CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS,
CLIMATE INJUSTICE, AND
BIOFUELS PRODUCTION IN
ARGENTINA
Stella Semino
[email protected]
Grupo de Reflexión Rural,
Member of the Climate Justice Coalition
Oslo, 4th April 2008
ARGENTINA AND THE KYOTO
TREATY
• Argentina is not subject to GHGE reduction
targets, as most industrialised nations are. As
Kyoto treaty signatory, the country adopted a
number of legal tools allowing it to implement
the international regime in different activities.
The government acknowledges the future
climatic inconveniences but also sees
opportunities
The environment minister
said last month:
“There are tremendous
opportunity for companies
to invest in forestation
projects. Investing in CDMs
and forestation is like
putting the money in a
high interest bank
account.”
CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISMS
PROJECT 1
Molinos Rio de La Plata
simultaneous generation
of electricity and steam
Plant activity:
production of raw soy oil
and soy flower. Current
production capacity is
17.500 tons per day.
CDM Project 2
Dehesa oil
DEHESA Share in the
global oil market
Electricity generation
from peanut and sun- • 7.8% soy oil
flower shells biomass • 13% peanut
• 1.5% sunflower oil
DEHESA and BIODIESEL
Quotation from their own publicity:
• Environmental concern. The commitment undertaken by Aceitera
General Deheza in preserving the environment was ratified by the
United Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) when
this organization certified the reduction in gas emissions that cause
greenhouse effect in the industrial processes of the plants located in
General Deheza.
In this way, AGD became the first company in the food industry and
one of the ten Argentine companies to obtain this certification, that
shows the commitment with the environment preservation.
Ecofuel S.A. Ecofuel S.A. production begins in September 2007.
Ecofuel S.A. is a biodiesel production plant located in Puerto General
San Martín (Province of Santa Fe).
Source: http://www.agd.com.ar/en/home.htm
PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES OF
BIOFUELS POLICIES IN THE EU
• Greenhouse Gas Saving
• Security of Supply
• Employment. Biofuels are claimed to bring
economic benefits to the EU by increasing
employment, especially in rural areas, and to
underdeveloped countries because they open
new export markets.
Brief explanation of EU biofuel policies
EU DEMAND AND
CERTIFICATIONS
“ the proposal creates the
most comprehensive and
sustainable system
anywhere in the world for
the certification of
biofuels... “
• José Manuel Durão
Barroso, speech to the
European Parliament
28-01-08.
Climate Change and trade
opportunities
"Friends, What only matters is
to make businesses. Because
the poor will continue to exist and
of them will have to be care the
NGOs (sic). And now the great
business will come from the hand
of biofuels. Once again behind the
promises to solve the problems of
climate change is hidden the only
objective which is to take a great
slice from the future businesses”
Round Table for Responsible Soy.
Criteria proposal for GM and nonGM soybean biomass production
MAIN CRITERIA PROPOSED
Responsible use of agrochemicals
Responsible use of water
Respect for human rights,
Responsible soil management.
SOYBEAN IN ARGENTINA
Over a 40 M ha of agricultural lands,
25 M ht are dedicated to oil seeds and
cereals
In 2007, 17 M ht were dedicated to
GM soybean
In 2004 160.000.000 Lts of glyphosate and other
herbicides, fungicides were applied
LOSS OF SOIL NUTRIENTS
ADVICE FROM EXPERTS: TO COPE WITH AGROFUELS
DEMAND, ARGENTINA HAS TO DOUBLE THE USE OF
FERTILIZERS FROM 3 to 6 Million Tons PER YEAR.
Deforestation in Argentina is six time higher than the
world average. In the last 4 years it has increased 42%.
Reasons why GRR says
that the Round Table’s
main criteria cannot be
delivered:
DEFORESTATION
• There are studies showing the relation
between soybean prices and deforestation.
The pattern suggest that only conditions
unfavourable in the long term for soybean
production may stop or significantly reduce
deforestation.
AGROCHEMICALS
• RR Soybean requires powerful herbicides,
some of which are forbidden within the EU.
• The most widely used herbicide is a
substance called glyphosate. It is
impossible to reduce the amount of
agrochemicals applied, as the quantity of
resistant weeds and diseases are on the
increase.
Water use and pollution
• The increase use of herbicides and agrochemicals
is causing eutrophication in agricultural ponds and
ground water.
• In 2004/5 Argentina produced 38,3 m T of
soybean and with that more than 42.500 millions
M3 were exported.
• Argentina is among the group of countries which
are net exporters of virtual water, while most
countries soybean buyers are water deficient
Greenhouse gas balances
“While biodiesel had an advantage over fossil
fuels in that it absorbs CO2 while the plants
from which it is produced are growing, it is
probable that its carbon footprint is equal to
or higher than that of fossil fuels due to high
emissions from infrastructure and cultivation.”
Jan Wright: Commissioner for the Environment, NZ
Argentina, March 2008:
major food security crisis
GRR believes that humanity’s
response to the climate and
environmental crisis should be:
• Technological fixes to climate change are
not fit to take us all over this problem.
• We must work towards low-consumption,
low-growth, and equitable developmental
models for the North and the South alike.
www.grr.org.ar