US Secretary of State for Agriculture Ed Schafer was bullish at a press conference prior to his attendance at this week's conference on World Food Security.  "The message I will deliver on behalf of the United States will be straightforward", he said. "[The] United States contributes more than one-half of all the world's food aid and the world's other developed nations have an obligation to provide food efficiently without obstructing access to it or limiting safe technologies to produce it."

Turning to the part that biofuels play in the increase in food prices Secretary Schafer was absolutley clear. "Biofuels are just one contributor to increase food prices as demonstrated by price increases on all commodities, both food and nonfood. According to our analysis, the increased biofuels production accounts for only 2 to 3 percent of overall increase in global food prices. At the same time, the International Energy Agency reports that biofuels production over the past three years has cut the consumption of crude oil by 1 million barrels a day. Biofuels are helping address both environmental concerns and the economic impacts of high oil prices," said Schafer.

When asked about the setting up of international guidelines for the production of biofuels Secretary Schaeffer said; "I would point out that in the United States and in other countries as well, all ethanol production specifically has come from increased yields in the corn crops. So we're not pulling out [of] any traditional markets. Our export markets are up in corn out of the United States. The yield increases are taking care of it, and certainly the benefits derived are much more than the 2 to 3 percent that is contributing to the rising inflation in food costs internationally. We think it's an important initiative, and while people do have some concern I think we can point out the facts here, not the emotions but the facts, that this is not distorting the global price of food. And it's an important direction we need to go."

He concluded; "I don't know much about the international guidelines. What I can say is, we have set guidelines in the United States. We've set targets out there and said, 'This is how we're going to create energy independence in this country. And we urge others in the face of this rising price problem with energy to look at alternative means, one of which certainly is biofuels.' "