According to a report commissioned by the British government to a panel of experts chaired by Ed Gallagher, head of the Renewable Fuels Agency, the rush to develop biofuels has played a "significant" role in the dramatic rise in global food prices. The Gallagher report, due to be published next week, might trigger a review of British and EU targets for the use of plant-derived fuels in place of petrol and diesel. After the Rome summit on the food crisis, a British government team involved in the Gallagher review visited the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to consult specialists who had drawn up UN recommendations on biofuel use. They emerged saying their views were "identical".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/19/climatechange.biofuels