A CAMPAIGNER has gone to Brussels to make her voice heard by European politicians over biofuel concerns.

Liz Carlton, from South Woodham Ferrers, went with anti-poverty charity Action Aid to meet East of England MEP Vicky Ford to discuss issues surrounding the production of biofuels.

The fuels are made from a number of natural materials including animal fats and food with the aim of finding more sustainable energy sources and reducing carbon footprints globally.

However, campaigners including Ms Carlton have worries about how the fuels are made.

They are calling for support to Action Aid’s Food Not Fuel campaign as crops being burnt to produce biofuels is increasing food prices and forcing farmers off their land to make room for fuels to be made.

They are also trying to highlight evidence showing carbon emissions to make the fuels can be higher than when producing fossil fuels, which campaigners feel is not taken into account enough.

Ms Carlton and Action Aid went to Brussels to speak with the MEP as the parliament is due to vote on changes to the continent’s biofuel policies.

Ms Carlton said: “I was very pleased to be able to go to the EU Parliament to talk to one of my elected MEPs and to know that if we have a good argument and if we can persuade her, she will use her vote to change EU policy.

“Vicky was very interested in the issue and very quick to understand the points we were making.

“We hope she will support these amendments and persuade those on the environment committee to vote for a zero target and for the consequences of international land usage change on CO2 omissions to be taken into account when figures on sustainability are collated.”

It is thought the amount of crops burnt each day to be used in biofuels could feed 34,000 people for a year.