"Energy & Food Security. Much Ado About Nothing?”

The conditions of sustainable production of biofuels and the mechanisms concerning food and energy security were vividly debated by top experts in the field. An audience of 120 people participated in the event hosted by Deutsche Welle.

Bonn. Four experts discussed hopes and problems arising with biofuel production: Stefan Gsaenger, Secretary General of the World Wind Energy Association, Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary General of Welthungerhilfe, Prof. Gernot Klepper, Speaker of the Management Team of the Kiel Earth Institute, and Franz Marré, Head of Division "Water, Energy, Urban Development", Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany.

Download Audio of This Event: 6th Bonn Dialogues - Energy, and Food Security

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Panelists

Mr. Stefan Gsaenger,                                      Secretary General of WWEA               

Dr. Wolfgang Jamann,                                    Secretary General of Welthungerhilfe

Prof. Gernot Klepper Ph.D,                              Coordinator of the Research Programme  "Economic Policies for Sustainable Development" at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy

Mr. Franz Marré,                                                   Head of Division "Water, Energy, Urban Development", Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany 

Ambassador Neville M. Gertze (CANCELLED!),           Embassy of the Republic of Namibia                                                                  

The next Bonn Dialogues discusses the issue of "Energy & Food Security - Much Ado About Nothing?" The public symposium takes place on Tuesday, 10 November 2009, at 6:00 pm at Deutsche Welle in Bonn.

The energy and food issue are interconnected and constitute two of the biggest challenges in the near future. The production of biofuels has increased considerably. Large areas of rain forests are being cleared for soybean and oil palm cultivation to produce biofuels which are needed for energy production.

Two main implications of this trend are: The production of biofuels negatively impacts already vulnerable ecosystems causing conflicts over land and climate change, and second, it contributes to the rising of food prices, increasing the number of poor people going hungry.

A panel of international experts will look at the different effects and connections. They will debate how the consumers´ and producers´ interests can be combined and what the long-term effects of biofuel production could be for vulnerable communities and the environment. 

Please find the detailed Concept Note for the event under "Read more" below.