Carlos Rymer October 30, 2008

Ethics, Values, and Justice Mid-Term Paper

The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

In the last eight years, an unprecedented explosion in biofuels production has been taking

place globally as total production has more than tripled since 2000. As a result, the world has

experienced a food crisis characterized by a rapid increase in food prices, which is having

significant negative impacts on the low-income populations of most nations. These results are

largely due to a lack of consideration of ethical issues with biofuels production, which include

conflicts among different goals and popular fallacies. Considering relevant ethical issues, it is

clear that the rapid diversion of important crops from food purposes to biofuels production

directly conflicts with the world’s poor’s right to accessible and affordable food and impairs their

“right of way” to have dignified lives.1

Since the year 2000, biofuels production has taken on a rampant path of accelerated

growth due to global efforts to deal with key issues. In 1997, the world’s industrialized nations

agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol in order to begin mitigating

climate change.2 As part of the agreement, biofuels had to partially replace fossil fuels in the

transport sector in industrialized countries. In the earlier years of the current decade, the price of

oil began to rise gradually as a result of peaking production and increasing global demand,

further pushing nations to incentivize biofuels production to replace oil dependence, create jobs,

and strengthen the agriculture sector’s economic performance.3 This global push to provide

energy security and protect the environment through subsidies for and mandates on biofuels

resulted in a tripling of biofuels production from 2000 to 2007.4

1
Gondek, Lecture 1 Notes. September 4th, 2008.
2
UNFCCC, 2008. Website accessible at: http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php.
3
Flavin et al., 2006. Pgs. 8-12, 14-15.
4
Coyle, 2007. Pg. 26.
 The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

The worldwide acceleration of biofuels production has dramatically increased the

demand for important crops, especially corn, soybeans, sugarcane, and oil palm. This increased

demand for crops has led to a dramatic rise in food prices globally. In the last year alone, for

example, food prices have increased by roughly 50%.5 As the demand for corn and oilseed

increases in the United States and the European Union, the production of other important crops,

such as soybeans, falls because farmers make way for the more demanded crops. This is causing

increases in prices of not only crops used for biofuels production, but also those indirectly

impacted by it. Consequently, low-income people who spend a higher proportion of their income

on food than wealthier sections of the population would be seriously impacted as they have to

spend even more of their income on food and give up spending on other basic needs.6

The right of low-income people to adequately access food, a basic need for life, has been

diminished as a result of the rampant drive to produce increasing amounts of biofuels.7 The goal

of ethics is to lead to decisions that maximize life and the diversity of life. 8 Rolston III asks the

question about whether or not preventing poor people to develop and sustain themselves is

“almost like killing?” Increasing the price of food for whatever purpose other than sustaining life

is therefore unethical and characterizes actions that do not follow an ethical framework. Just like

“we ought not to save [the Amazon] if people need to eat,” 9 we ought to not produce biofuels to

satisfy needs not basic to life at the expense of the poor. This negligence of the impacts biofuels

5
Martin, 2008. Article available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/business/worldbusiness/15food.html?_r=3&scp=15&sq=ethanol%20and%20p
oor&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin.
6
Miller, 2008. Article available at: http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/Article.aspx?id=1680.
7
Runge and Senauer, 2007. Article available at: http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070501faessay86305/c-ford-runge-
benjamin-senauer/how-biofuels-could-starve-the-poor.html.
8
Gondek, Lecture 1 Notes. September 4th, 2008.
9
Rolstom III, 2003. Pg. 454.
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 The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

production has on low-income people also leads to conflicting views between what is considered

human and what is considered nonhuman.

The negligence of the poor in the global effort to increase biofuels production raises the

issue of what can be considered non-human and therefore be given different treatment. The

“mindless” mentality with which decisions to produce more biofuels were made is in line with

the “original standpoint” of abundance.10 In this standpoint, it is assumed that crop production is

so abundant11 that using part of the system to produce biofuels would not have any significant

consequence. This perceived abundance stems from Aristotle’s principle that a state must know

and put to use its “natural endowment.”12 However, in this case, countries that produce large

quantities of biofuels, such as the United States, are highly interconnected to the rest of the

world. In effect, this changes the boundary from national to international and therefore creates a

situation where the rest of the world must be considered in decision-making.

Understanding that the “original standpoint” of abundance does not hold because of the

interconnectedness of the world’s nations, it must then be the case that low-income people are

being treated as non-humans. This leads to the necessity of involving a third “focal point.”13 This

third focal point includes non-human animals and gives them moral standing under various

conditions. In the case of treating low-income people as non-humans, there isn’t either an

aesthetic draw or a scientific draw or an empathetic draw.14 Since humans lack any of these

characteristics, it is not appropriate to treat the world’s poor under this category. As a result, most

10
Gondek, Lecture 6 Notes. October 9th, 2008.
11
De Tocqueville. Pgs. 232-233.
12
Barker, 1962. Pgs. 295-296.
13
Gondek, Lecture 4 Notes. September 25th, 2008.
14
Gondek, Lecture 4 Notes. September 25th, 2008.
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 The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

of these decisions relating to biofuels that wrongly treat humans under such categories or simply

assume that some people should be ignored and not even compensated are highly unethical.

Moreover, the decisions to move forward with biofuels production while ignoring low-

income people are not only unethical in the sense that they deny a “right of way” or “moral

standing” to such people, but also in the sense that they deliberately distort the reality. As it has

already been mentioned, there isn’t an abundance of land to satisfy both food and fuel needs

without sacrificing affordability, as we’ve already experienced with sharp increases in food

prices. While de Tocqueville once argued that commerce and entrepreneurship draws Americans

and the democratizing world, it is clear that politics plays an important role in the development

of the biofuels industry. The fallacy of saving nature15 through biofuels production is clearly a

political maneuver to make the public believe that biofuels are good for the environment. In

reality, it has been concluded that biofuels may in fact not reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may

spur further soil degradation, and fuels deforestation. One of the principal reasons why this

fallacy is politically supported is because farmers are enjoying the benefits of increased demand

behind the scene through higher pay for their crops.

The politics of biofuels production therefore are unethical on various fronts because

decisions are made without considering life maximization or accurate communication. Human

rights are neglected in the name of the environment and meeting the political demands of

powerful farm sectors. This conflict between life maximization and meeting political favors also

eliminates existing priorities to protect ecosystems in order to “save nature.”16 In fact, biofuels

production in many cases tends to also ignore the “moral standing” of rainforests and other

15
Attfield, 2003. Pgs. 463-465.
16
Attfield, 2003. Pgs. 463-465.
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 The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

ecosystems that are directly impacted. Indirectly, biofuels production also denies “moral

standing” to people living in marginal areas that traditionally have relied on rainforests or

farmland now under intensive crop production for biofuels purposes. In effect, this creates a

scenario where people who cannot grow food have less access to it from normal markets and

people who live in marginal areas have a reduced ability to grow food for sustenance. Not only

are humans not perceived as part of nature in this case because of their new status as non-

humans,17 but also the “ecosystem view” is completely ignored and substituted by Rawls’ veil of

ignorance.18

Scaling up biofuels production under a framework that leaves ethics out is having

significant consequences for both policymakers and the world’s poor. On one hand, policymakers

are receiving political support by the large farm enterprises that are benefiting from subsidies and

mandates in favor of biofuels. However, they are also receiving an unprecedented amount of

criticism through the media because of the increasing view that biofuels are doing more bad than

good. This has already pushed policymakers to seek out patches such as sustainable production

guidelines and new feedstocks that do not involve key crops. The world’s poor, on the other

hand, are seeing no benefits whatsoever. Low-income people in nearly every country are seeing

more of their income go to purchasing food, which restricts spending on other basic needs such

as health, education, transportation, and sanitation. In extreme cases, poor people are being

forced to move from already marginal areas to other more pristine areas that they then degrade,

intruding on the priorities set under the “ecosystems view.”19 Confronting this situation will

17
Nickel and Viola, pgs. 472-473.
18
Hartley, pg. 481.
19
Gondek, Lecture 4 Notes. September 25th, 2008.
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 The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

require an analysis of the commonalities between parties and an ethic of agriculture that

encompasses the moral standing of people and ecosystems.20

An ethical framework can provide substantive analysis that can aid policymakers to make

better decisions to meet current energy needs. First of all, it is clear that both policymakers and

the poor share a common goal of long-term, sustainable development that includes meeting food

and energy requirements without denying access to one group to satisfy unnecessary wants. As

part of increasing quality of life in an interconnected world, policymakers want to use markets to

lower costs and make goods available to the poorest, intervening whenever possible to enhance

the poor’s access to goods without compromising the rights of other groups. In addition,

policymakers have political constraints due to the demands of lobby groups, such as farm

sectors. They must try to weigh the desires of one sector over another from an ethical standpoint.

In today’s world, the largest players in the farm sector are not small farms; they are large,

sometimes multi-national enterprises that have a lot of accumulated wealth. Therefore, the

question policymakers must ask is which group ethically has greater or more real needs when

making decisions.

Understanding this ethical framework, where the neediest are prioritized because of the

moral goal of avoiding the denial of a “right of way,” policymakers can make better decisions to

maintain the world’s farm sector while attaining goals of economic development, particularly for

the world’s poorest. Thompson makes the case for an “agricultural philosophy” by explaining

that the effort to increase biofuels production is a technological trajectory only.21 He asks the

question about why we need agriculture.22 The easy answer to this question is that traditionally,

20
Gondek, Lecture 1 Notes. September 4th, 2008.
21
Thompson, pgs. 189-190.
22
Thompson, pg. 192.
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 The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

we have used agriculture to meet basic needs such as food and fiber. The purpose of meeting

these needs is to sustain life, which under our ethical framework is the right thing to do. As long

as meeting these needs for all those who need them is a priority, agriculture should remain under

this purpose. Today, there are roughly one billion people living in poverty,23 which means that

their lives are not secured over the long term. Doing anything that further restricts their access to

food and fiber is not in line with the agriculture philosophy. As long as a significant portion of

our population is under dire need of food and fiber, the purpose of agriculture should be to meet

people’s basic needs and not to meet the needs of wealthier groups of people who have particular

desires.

Finally, the issue of food access is also an environmental justice issue. Environmental

justice “challenges narrow utilitarian views and promotes Kantian rights and obligations,” which

satisfy formulations that impede some people from being ignored or unfairly given the burden of

others.24 Environmental justice therefore aims to place social and equity values on the policy

agenda so that particular groups of people, such as the poor, are not unfairly treated by

policymakers.25 In this case, biofuels production becomes an environmental justice issue because

it unfairly takes away food from those who need it the most to grant the wishes of wealthy and

powerful groups of people.

The global push for biofuels must address these key ethical considerations if it will be

successful in preventing more intense conflicts and achieving sustainability. The different actors

from government, industry, and non-governmental organizations must work together to make

new decisions about the future of biofuels under an ethical framework. This framework must

23
Chen and Ravallion, 2008. Abstract page.
24
Hartley, pg. 481.
25
Hartley, pg. 483.
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 The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

address the goals of the private and public sectors with the understanding that people should not

be denied their “right of way,” which in this case is simply to survive. A new version of a global

biofuels industry must provide satisfactory “moral standing” to the world’s poor and to

ecosystems, particularly if the industry will be further supported just to meet political favors and

not to satisfy societal goals.

Under this framework, fallacies must also be revealed and power must be well distributed

among those who have significant financial resources and those who make the decisions of the

world’s people. Politicians and industry must gain public support and appeal by communicating

with a higher degree of truth. This will ensure the democracy that was built in America in fact is

sustained, as de Tocqueville affirms.26 The combination of including ethical considerations in

decisions regarding biofuels and ensuring that reliable information is communicated to the public

will provide the “moral standing” that poor people deserve. In effect, decisions should ensure

that a more sustainable path towards biofuels production is put into place, preventing price hikes

for key food items and maintaining the integrity of ecosystems upon which the world’s poor

depend.

The global push for biofuels has already had significant negative impacts on the world’s

low-income people. Biofuels production, especially in large economies like the United States and

the European Union, has led to sharp increases in food prices and degraded important

ecosystems. Decisions have been made without an ethical lens, which have left the world’s poor

and ecosystems outside of the political framework. This has taken away poor people’s “right of

way” and the “moral standing” of ecosystems. A new ethical framework is required to ensure that

biofuels production does not ignore existing humans and provides for a sustainable future.

26
De Tocqueville, 1969. Pgs. 230-235.
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 The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

Policymakers, industry, and civil society must work together to seriously consider the ethical

issues with biofuels production and set a new path that will ensure equity, moral standing, and

sustainability.

References

Attfield, Robon. 2003. “Saving Nature, Feeding People, and Ethics.” In Environmental Ethics:
An Anthology. Blackwell Publishing.

Barker, Ernest. 1962. “The Politics of Aristotle.” Oxford University Press.

Chen, Shaohua and Ravallion, Martin. 2008. “The Developing World Is Poorer Than We
Thought, But No Less Successful in the Fight Against Poverty.” World Bank.

Coyle, William. 2007. “The Future of Biofuels: A Global Perspective.” USDA Economic
Research Service.

De Tocquiville, Alexis. 1969. “Democracy in America.” Harper and Rows, Publishers.

Flavin et al. 2006. “American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security.” WorldWatch
Institute.

Gondek, Adela J. 2008. “Lecture Summary Notes: Values, Ethics, and Justice.” MPA-ESP
Program, SIPA, Columbia University.

Hartley, Troy W. 2003. “Environmental Justice: An Environmental Civil Rights Value Acceptable
to All World Views.” In Environmental Ethics: An Anthology. Blackwell Publishing.

Martin, Andrew. 2008. “Fuel Choices, Food Crises, and Finger-Pointing.” The New York Times.
Available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/business/worldbusiness/15food.html?_r=1&scp=15&sq=et
hanol%20and%20poor&st=cse&oref=slogin.

Miller, Henry I. 2008. “The Global Poor Will Suffer the Worst Ethanol Hangover.” World
Politics Review. Available at: http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/Article.aspx?id=1680.

Nickel, James W. and Viola, Eduardo. 2003. “Integrating Environmentalism and Human Rights.”
In Environmental Ethics: An Anthology. Blackwell Publishing.

Rolston III, Holmes. 2003. “Feeding People versus Saving Nature?” In Environmental Ethics:
An Anthology. Blackwell Publishing.

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 The Ethical Considerations of Global Biofuels Production

Runge, C. Ford and Senauer, Benjamin. 2007. “How Biofuels Could Starve the Poor.” Foreign
Affairs. Available at: http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070501faessay86305/c-ford-runge-
benjamin-senauer/how-biofuels-could-starve-the-poor.html.

Thompson, Paul B. 2008. “The agricultural ethics of biofuels: A first look.” Journal of
Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 21 (2): 183-198.

UNFCCC. 2008. “Kyoto Protocol.” United Nations. Available at:

http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php.

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