SciDev.Net

It is incredible that the long list of references to biofuels (see Spotlight on Biofuels) contains only two references to water.

How much virtual water does Brazil, for example, export with its biofuels? What will be the effects on availability of water for people who are already suffering from water shortages?

Can one forecast that, as with suppliers of bottled water and soft drinks, the biofuel industry will lead to the desiccation of poorer people and the enrichment of the upper class — 'upper' in terms of wealth (including lobbyists) and/or those able to influence governments or national, regional and global decision-making bodies?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has drawn attention to some of the effects of climate change on water availability over the next few decades: how much will biofuel production affect them?