North Energy against Southern Food
The use of basic grains to produce fuel is object of debate in Guatemala today where experts perceive the devastating effects of that policy on sovereignty and food security.

"We think it is an error and an absurd thing to launch a project that can threaten even more the almost unstable nutrition of our population, following US dictates," said the farmers leader Helmer Velazquez.

The director of the Coordination of Non Governmental Organizations and Cooperatives worries the great landowners will put pressure to buy many lands under the pretext of the need to sow sugar cane and African palm.

"In our opinion it has two serious effects: first, the small farmers, after being moved away from their lands, are prevented from producing their basic grains, mainly corn," said Velazquez to Prensa Latina.

Second, it ratifies and reiterates injustice regarding possession and use of the lands in the country since the oligarchy impose itself according to its interest and that of US.

In the northern departments of Coban and Peten they have already begun to substitute small parcels and forest for monocultures to produce ethanol and bio diesel.

The negative effects on the ecosystem in the region, deforestation and use of transgenic seeds have been analyzed twice by the NGO s Coordination and Cooperatives.

Byron Garoz, member of the organization of experts on the issue, said that food sovereignty of the south is now facing the fierce energetic consumption of the north.