Lula and Biofuels at the UN General Assembly

I'm a little late in getting to this, but there is a great article from the Guardian about Lula's address to the UN during the general assembly. The main foci of Lula's address were biofuels, both in Brazil and in a global economic context, and economic systems. He was very right to criticize the one-sided agrigultural protectionism Northern Hemisphere, pointing out it was part of a broader system that "perpetuates dependency and underdevelopment".

However, what was really important in his speech was the material relating to biofuels. He was both defensive of the production of biofuels in Brazil, and criticized the North and other countries that remain uninformed about how Brazil produces biofuels. He took on both critiques from the "developed world" ("His speech reflects strong irritation in Brazil that many of the critics of the country's biofuel programme are using arguments about environmental protection and food shortages either as an excuse for northern protectionism or simply to defend their own oil and gas industries") and critiques from countries like Venezuela, Bolivia, and Cuba, who want biofuel programs curbed and agriculture to focus on the hunger question instead. As Lula pointed out, it doesn't have to be an either/or proposition, and it isn't an either/or proposition in Brazil, where "only a fifth of Brazil's arable land is currently under cultivation and of this less than 4% is used for ethanol". With criticisms like these coming from both the North and the governments furthest left in Latin America, no wonder Lula was a little defensive.

And he was totally justified, too. The article points out the "crocodile's tears" of Europe and the U.S., who claim to be concerned about social conditions in Latin America. Where in the hell do Europe and the U.S. have room to criticize Latin America for social conditions, given centuries of colonialism, imperialism, neo-colonialism, and extremely punitive trade and economic relations, be it via one-sided tariffs, privatization, or the IMF and World Bank?

And of course, Chavez, Morales, and Cuba don't get off hook here. It's fine to be concerned with hunger, and far more consistent of them than the Northern Hemisphere to be worried about social justice, but trying to nail Brazilian industry and tie it to U.S. inefficiency here is irresponsible. Plus, both Bolivia and Venezuela rely so heavily on petroleum for their national incomes, they of course would have a less-than-altruistic concern if petroleum consumption fell and biofuel consumption rose globally. And let's not forget that, while it isn't a strained relationship, Chavez has occasionally struggled rhetorically and ideologically with Brazil as the two compete to increase their presence in South America.

That said, hats off to Lula. While his speech was in no way without its own political agendas and concerns, his points were fair and accurate, and I hope he continues defending Brazil and Brazilian interests that could actually help the globe (you know - the whole "non-fossil fuels" thing) as well as he did at the UN General Assembly.