IIED conducted an independent consultation on the World Bank

There is increasing international recognition that while growth in bioenergy offers new opportunities for sustainable agricultural development, it also carries significant risks. With use of current technologies and set policies, the growth in liquid biofuels is contributing to the rise of commodity prices and may have negative impacts on food security and the environment.

Climate change will have a disproportionate impact on poor developing countries - compared to the expected net effects in developed regions - due to a combination of more severe climatic impacts in areas that are already vulnerable today, coupled with inadequate resources, technology and organizational capacity to adapt to them.

All agricultural commodities covered in this report are of critical importance to global food and feed markets. They constitute much of the world's food consumption, generate income to farmers and represent the largest portion of food import expenditures across the world. The analysis in the report puts in perspective market developments in recent months with a view to providing some insights into how the outlook might unfold for the commodities covered during the coming months.

The international climate negotiations have seen endless struggles between countries from South and North for almost 17 years, ever since the initiation of negotiations by the International Negotiation Committee for the UNFCCC.

This publication highlights the importance of sustainable agriculture not only to preserve biodiversity, but also to ensure that will be able to feed the world, maintain agricultural livelihoods, and enhance human well being into the 21st century and beyond.