UNA_USA position paper!

Committee: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Council
Topic: BIOFUELS
Country: Sudan
Delegates: Marcell Urena & Lingordi Rocca, George Washington High School.
In 1907 O. Henry wrote in his book Heart of the West “Love and business and family and religion and art and patriotism are nothing but shadows of words when a man's starving”. This quote truly echoes the sentiments of Sudan regarding the delicate situation all poor nations are facing when deciding upon the usage of BIOFUELS. The ramifications of this pivotal decision can determine the aftermath of many poor nations, and not all are up for the challenge. Poverty is in itself a human rights violation, and no human should be subject to this injustice. That is why, when a country doesn’t have the sufficient resources (land, water, food and capital) to feed their people, it becomes an every day struggle to reach the needs of every individual, and using BIOFUELS isn’t a short term necessity, rather than a long term want. The Republic of Sudan strongly recommends that the INT’L community consider the unequal hand many countries have dealt with, when discussing BIOFUELS.

Sudan’s rainy season lasts about three months (July-Sep) in the North and up to six months in (Jun-Nov) in the South, which means that the rainfall floods the land, and crops either get damaged or scarce. The thought of using the scant resources for BIOFUELS becomes impossible, because in the short term, people need the food to survive. Sudan has abundant mineral resources like Petroleum, natural gas, gold, silver, and others, which means that Sudan’s economy is dependent on the export of petroleum. Since 1999 Sudan began exporting crude oil, and thanks to the production of oil, the Sudanese economy is booming, with a growth rate of about 9% in 2007. These gains, along with improvements to monetary policy, have stabilized the exchange rate greatly.

However, Sudan also recognizes the need to reduce carbon foot prints and promote healthier environmental practices, such as the EU, USA, and Brazil are already working with. That is why in 2008 Sudan worked in coalition with Egypt to cooperate in BIOFUEL production. “The talks compromised cooperation in the field of bio ethanol production from rice straw, with investments of $ 150 millions”. Based on the signed agreements, Egyptian companies will establish a joint company with Sudan MISRODAN for cultivating and producing ethanol.

In this case other countries need to sympathies with Sudan and understand that Sudan has not been gifted with favorable climate, fertile soil or other resources, and the process of producing ethanol may take its time, mean while the Sudanese government needs to feed their people. Despite efforts to combat hunger in an international level, such as the adoption of the World Food Programme in parts of Sudan, the United Nation could not reach the hands of each individual and every day children, mothers and fathers die from malnutrition.

The Republic of Sudan believes that in order to combat poverty in a global scale the International community should act in coalition with one other and work out a plan in which every country is helped in some way. This includes helping poor nations ease the acquisition of medical equipment, edible resources, and clean water, as well training and apprenticeship programs in order to help the poor become aware of their situation and make a change for their own benefit. Sudan also believes that BIOFUELS refers to long term effects and in order to implement the usage of ‘agri-fuels’ in a global scale, it would take a long time, and mean while people will starve to death until that happens.

Food security, allocation of water, substantial energy resources, education and the cooperation of the International community is a substantial necessity to come about with a resolution to this fragile problem. BIOFUEL’s have raised the price of goods and according Jean Ziegler, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food states “it is a crime against humanity to convert agriculturally productive soil into soil which produces foodstuffs that will be turned in to biofuel” of which Sudan needs to echo upon. Before we come about with a resolution to the use of BIOFUELS, we need to think about the short term effects that might spring from it. Nutrition is very important, in fact it is the source of energy we humans need to survive, and one we need to have an active role in our community. That is why, instead of only leaning towards using BIOFUELS, we should think of other alternatives, such as Solar Power, or another way of using BIOFUELS which cannot jeopardize our food supply.