NGO, biofuel industry clash over vegan food from ethanol

Non-governmental organisation Transport and Environment (T&E) and the ethanol industry have clashed over the latter’s increasing interest in producing vegan food in addition to biofuel, which aims to end the long-standing “food versus fuel” argument.

EURACTIV recently reported that Pannonia Bio, one of the largest ethanol biorefineries in Europe, is planning to gradually switch its focus primarily on animal and human feed production and secondarily on biofuel.

Through this, the industry aims to kill the long-standing “food versus fuel” argument, according to which NGOs claim that relying on crop-based biofuels leads to a hike in food prices, considering that crops are being used to fill cars’ tanks rather than feed people.

Ethanol industry eyes transformation to kill ‘food vs fuel’ argument

Although Hungary’s agriculture minister has recently hailed the ethanol industry’s fresh investments in animal feed and foodstuffs in addition to biofuel production, the European Commission appears to remain unconvinced, still invoking the “food versus fuel” argument.

But T&E also opposes the production of vegan food by the ethanol industry.

“Vegans have survived for decades without extracted wheat protein. Beans, peas and lentils are far more efficient protein sources. Animal feed doesn’t justify the production of biofuels either,” Maik Marahrens from the T&E told EURACTIV.

The industry, for its part, says crop-based biofuels such as ethanol are crucial in decarbonising transport, considering that the roll-out of electric cars will take many years due to high costs and relatively poor infrastructure.

Eric Sievers, investments director of ClonBio, responded, saying beans, peas and lentils are “great”, but it is “factually incorrect” to say that they are efficient crops either generally or for protein.

“Exactly the opposite is true. These minor crops have low yields and offer little in the way of bioeconomy beyond protein, while Europe’s main cereal and oilseed crops result in more efficient use of land and offer food, feed, fibre, energy and biomaterial decarbonisation products based on their protein, starch, fibre, fat and beta-glucans,” Sievers told EURACTIV.

As for vegans, he said, 95% of vegetable proteins in Europe are consumed by non-vegans.

“It is hypocrisy for T&E to advocate electric vehicles (instead of arguing that everyone should bike) while protesting clean-label vegetable meat substitutes with very low carbon intensity by invoking veganism,” Sievers noted.

At the EU level, the European Commission has decided to cap crop-based biofuels by 2030 and that their contribution should therefore be limited at 7%.

The Commission insists that transport decarbonisation cannot be based on fuels competing crops and driving prices upwards.

The ethanol industry says the “food versus fuel” argument cannot be justified scientifically and often point to a public statement made in 2016 by a former EU official who admitted that the EU executive’s decisions on biofuels were based on public opinion and not necessarily on science.

The industry also has farmers on its side, who have seen a growing market outside the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in recent years.

Speaking to EURACTIV on the sidelines of the Farmers’ Day event in Dunafö ldvár last month, Vadasné Velker Magdolna, a Hungarian farmer, said the biofuel industry stabilises the market.

“A significant market share of maise production in Hungary is taken up by the bioprocessors, and it certainly represents a significant market share among the possible uses – as animal feed, bioprocessing, and human consumption,” she said.

“So, for us as producers, it really gives us a sense of stability and security that these operations are up and running,” she added.

Veggie burgers produced by ethanol industry?

EURACTIV attended the Farmers’ Day event in Dunafö ldvár in Hungary, where local farmers and producers highlighted the need for Europe to focus on producing its own animal feed.

For Dr Mark Howells, Principal Research Fellow of Imperial College, synergies between energy and food systems are needed as well as tangible results.

“The idea of having multiple outputs from a single agricultural feedstock and so on is not new, I think what is really important is that we’re facing new and different times, we have increased demands, we have a limited resource base,” he told EURACTIV at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

“I think the most important thing is to make sure that we have numbers and facts that sort of speak for themselves, as well as the tools for policymakers to understand which are the best options, and so they can actively encourage them and develop businesses that are supportive,” he added.

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

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