Dr. C. Ford Runge Presentation Description

"The Human Cost of Biofuels: Malnutrition and Mortality Among Children in Poor Developing Countries: 2000-2015"

1:00-2:15 Quad 264

Children under five in poor developing countries are especially vulnerable to food insecurity resulting from rising grain prices induced by the diversion of food and feed to fuel use. The implications for these vulnerable populations if current trends continue are stark: tens of millions of poor children will become malnourished and several million will die. These are consequences not of the vagaries of nature, but of purposive policies in rich countries to subsidize and promote the diversion of food and feed to fuel. These policies can and should be reversed.

Dr. C. Ford Runge, Rhodes Scholar and Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Applied Economics and Law at the University of Minnesota.  Check out his bio at www.law.umn.edu/facultyprofiles/rungef.html and his 2007 article in Foreign Affairs at www.foreignaffairs.org/20070501faessay86305/c-ford-runge-benjamin-senauer/how-biofuels-could-starve-the-poor.html