UN Report: Bio-Fuels Adding to Food Crisis
联合国：食品价回落粮食危机仍在
The U.N. Special Investigator on the Right To Food says soaring food prices have declined somewhat, but the crisis remains and the problems are exacerbated by the production of bio-fuels. The expert submitted a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council as a follow-up to the Special Session convened on the Global Food Crisis in May.
联合国食物权特别报告员奥利维尔·德舒特(Olivier De Schutter）星期三在日内瓦报告说，飙升的食品价格虽然有所回落，但粮食危机仍然存在，而且随着生物燃料生产的扩大，粮食问题正在恶化。德舒特根据今年五月全球食品危机特别会议的要求向联合国人权理事会提交了一份报告。
The Special Session in May was called to deal with the negative impact of soaring food prices on the world's poor. U.N. Investigator on the Right To Food, Olivier De Schutter, says the concerns people had then still remain.
联合国五月份举行全球食品危机特别会议就是为了对付粮食价格暴涨对世界各地的穷人所造成的负面影响。联合国食物权特别报告员德舒特说，当时人们所关心的问题现在依旧存在。
He says prices of food commodities in international markets have decreased from their peak levels of last spring. But, he notes they remain much higher than they were before the crisis and predictions indicate they will remain high for several years.
他指出，国际市场上的粮食价格现在已经从今年春天的高峰回落，但是跟危机爆发之前相比，价格仍然太高，而且在今后的几年中，粮价会继续在高位徘徊。德舒特说：
"Before the crisis, it was estimated by the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] that 854 million people were hungry in the world, not receiving sufficient calorie intake per day," he said. "And, two billion were malnourished. As a result of the crisis, it is estimated that at least 50 million more people have grown hungry. And, it is estimated that probably 100 million more people have fallen into extreme poverty."
“在危机爆发之前，联合国粮农组织估计全世界有八亿五千四百万人处于饥饿状态，他们从每天的饮食中得不到足够的卡路里。二十亿人营养不良。在危机爆发之后，估计又有至少五千万人陷入饥饿，赤贫人口又增加了一亿多。”
De Schutter says the poor are hungry and malnourished not because there is no food, but because they cannot afford to buy the food that is available. He says governments must take steps to protect their people from the emerging threats to the right to adequate food.
德舒特表示，穷人忍饥挨饿和营养不良并不是因为世界上没有足够的粮食，而是因为他们买不起那些粮食。他说，各国政府必需采取措施保护人民，不要让他们的生计受到威胁，丧失获得充足粮食的权利。
For example, he says they must protect land users from the risk of eviction, provide their poor with social safety nets and make sure rural women have the same rights as men to access land and other productive resources.
德舒特举例说，政府必需保证耕者有其田，不能让他们被迫搬迁；而且要给穷人提供社会安全保障；确保农村妇女有权跟男人一样获得土地和其他生产性资源。
The report notes speculation in the futures market of primary agricultural commodities is behind much of the volatility in food prices. It suggests measures be adopted to decrease the resulting vulnerability, particularly for net food importing developing countries.
联合国的这位食物权特别报告员还指出，食品价格的剧烈动荡主要是农产品期货市场上的投机活动造成的。他建议采取措施来减少市场动荡所造成的冲击，尤其是要帮助那些大量进口食品的发展中国家。
The report says the whole issue of agro-fuels has to be rethought. It says there is growing evidence that many agro-fuels consume too much fertile land, use massive amounts of water and energy and, therefore, are not a long-term alternative to fossil fuels.
根据德舒特的报告，利用农作物生产燃料的问题完全需要重新考虑，因为越来越多的证据显示，很多生物燃料的生产占据了太多的肥沃土地，使用了太多的水和能源。可以说，生物燃料从长远来看并不能取代化石燃料。
De Schutter says with the possible exception of sugarcane in countries such as Brazil, the environmental impact of other agro-fuels currently produced from food crops is not particularly positive.
德舒特指出，除了巴西那种利用甘蔗生产生物燃料的国家之外，利用农作物生产燃料对于环境的影响也并不怎么可取。他说：
"I am not opposed as a matter of principle to agro-fuels," he said. "Although, I think their environmental benefits in many cases have been widely overestimated. And, I believe particularly bio-fuels produced from maize as is the case in the U.S. is quite detrimental to the environment. But, having said this, I am not excluding in the future that agro-fuels may continue to be produced, but there needs to be some form of international discipline imposed on States."
“从原则上讲，我并不反对利用农作物生产燃料，尽管我认为，在很多情况下，生物燃料在环保方面的好处被大大夸张了。尤其是像美国利用玉米制造生物燃料，那对环境的破坏是很大的。不过，我并不排除将来继续利用农作物生产燃料，只是需要设立一套国际准则来对各国进行约束。”
Otherwise, he warns the pressure on land suitable for the production of crops will continue with dire consequences for the poorest people in the world.
联合国食物权特别报告员德舒特还警告说，农业用地所受到的压力将会继续，进而给世界上最贫穷的人们造成可怕的后果。
A World Bank Study finds between 15 percent and 43 percent of food price increases on international markets reflect the rush towards agro-fuels by certain countries.
世界银行的一份研究报告也显示，国际市场上15%到43%的粮食价格暴涨跟某些国家大力开发生物燃料有关。
