EU says biofuel target no threat to food output

By David Evans

PARIS (Reuters) - European Commission plans for a compulsory biofuel target of 10 percent of all vehicle fuels by 2020 are set at a level that will not stop the bloc's farmers growing crops for food, a top EU official said on Tuesday.

"It's all about balance," Michael Mann, spokesman for EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, told the Reuters Global Biofuels Summit.

"We have done our homework, we think the 10 percent target for biofuels is a realistic target that is achievable. We don't want to force farmers away from food production and replace food production with biofuels," he said.

Burgeoning demand for ethanol and biodiesel, made from crops such as sugar, maize and oilseeds has led to fears of increasing competition between the fuel and food sectors.

The European Commission unveiled its new targets last week as part of a broader package of measures designed to increase the proportion of renewable fuels in Europe's total energy mix.

"We think this as a good opportunity for farmers. In a world of increasing pressure for imports, any new outlet for our producers is a good thing," he said.

"Agriculture has to be kept diversified. We are very, very conscious of the need to have a certain level of food security in Europe," he said.

FOOD PRODUCTION NEEDS TO ADAPT  Continued...