"I’d rather eat rice than drink oil": Rethinking the Bio-Fuels Act

Over the news, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon has called on the suspension of the Bio-Fuels Act (BFA) of 2007 as a preemptive measure to put a halt to massive land conversion to the detriment of rice farming. Enacted in January last year, this brainchild legislation of then Rep. Miguel Zubiri (Bukidnon) now senator was applauded and it's even at the forefront of his campaign en route to the upper chamber. Although doubts and counter-arguments against the Act have mushroomed following its eventual ratification, it was only recently that serious calls for its abolition, or at least suspension were ejaculated from various persuasions due to the rice shortage phenomenon.

If we may recall, early last year, Zubiri and Sen. Miriam Santiago has come in bad terms following uncalled remarks from the latter regarding the inviability and unpromising venture into bio-fuels. Later on, several experts in agriculture published a critic on the Act citing inefficiency and implications to food security and the environment. However, Zubiri dismissed these as mere persuaded opinions, and there were even accusations pointing to oil companies as behind the campaign. I am fortunate enough to have known one of those courageous subject matter experts who come into open to reveal his side of truth , based on research and scientific projections.

Dr. Teodoro Mendoza, scientist and professor at the College of Agriculture, UP Los Banos decried earlier claims by BFA proponents on the promises of the program. He also cited recommendations in addressing the loopholes in the law and or in the program. And from what I remembered, at the height of its deliberations and debates in Congress, Sir Ted had been discussing to us (under AGRI 121, Ecological Agriculture) his position and due alternatives to the supposed fuel efficiency agenda behind the Act. But then, given the promises of Bio-Fuels, lawmakers submitted to it. The same lawmakers, even GMA (applauded the legislation and I think certified it as urgent), who now calls on stopping land conversion activities all over the country.

As second thought, indeed, sometimes, we get to see only the promising side of things, like the projected benefits of bio-fuels. We, or at least some Filipinos are attuned to reactionary terms of affirming policy perspectives like energy security and efficency, and bypassing its eventual implications to other industries or even to nature. We consider immediacy over domino effect-laden venture like propagation of bio-fuels producing cash crops such as Oil Palm and Jatropha. For one, we have partly 'mis'-inspired the success of bio-fuels in Brazil and in other Latin American countries cum largest producers of ethanol and other bio-fuels since these countries are literally large in terms of land area. Brazil for instance (the 5th largest? country in land area), has to clear thousands of acres within or adjacent to the Amazon forests to give way to bio-fuels production. Besides,they aren't largely dependent on single crop like rice, as staple food.

Still, given the triumph of Brazil on bio-fuels, this only fueled another apparent environmental crisis in the country pertaining to the massive clearing of lands, that even recent official reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned of uncertainties in bio-fuels production in that region. This is apart from projections on the effect on climate change, since propagation of bio-fuel crops takes in high quantity inputs (fertilizers, pesticides,etc.).

Now, as the Philippines is confronted by a policy-driven perennial rice crisis, it is imperative and just high time to again assert that above all, Filipinos need food security, second is energy security if that's the wish of others. Sen. Biazon is right to coin, "I’d rather eat rice than drink oil". And from a retired general at that, this is a slap on the face of agriculture-proponents in congress. To recall, they are the one's who co-sponsored and co-authored the Bill, and aggressively campaigned for its passage. And in the midst of a food security disorientation, these same officials enjoin the call to halt land conversion, to increase rice production, and run after hoarders and cartel players.

At the end of the day, rice is inexcusably far from mixing with oil, just like water. The principle behind being, the rice floats in oil,and when you fire on the oil, it wouldn't cook the rice,as we it it, rather, it burns it. While we explore on sustainability and security of energy, we should never lose sight of our priorities. Not at the cost of misleading the hopes of the Filipinos for a far-from-reach benefits, while laying dead waiting.

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