Possible push for changes in EU biofuel targets

By Adrian Croft

LONDON (Reuters) - The government will push for changes in European Union biofuels targets if a review of policy shows rising production drives up food prices and harms the environment, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Tuesday.

Brown is due to meet development experts and shop and farmers' representatives on Tuesday to work on a plan to tackle rising food prices.

His government ordered a review of the environmental and economic effects of biofuels production in February.

"We need to look closely at the impact on food prices and the environment of different production methods and to ensure we are more selective in our support (for biofuels)," Brown said in a statement.

"If our UK review shows that we need to change our approach, we will also push for change in EU biofuels targets."

As part of plans to tackle the food crisis that the World Food Programme described as a "silent tsunami" threatening 100 million people worldwide, the government on Tuesday announced a 455 million pounds aid package.

"The UK aid package announced today will help support the essential work of the World Food Programme to alleviate the immediate problems, but also address longer-term solutions," said International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander.

"We will work with key international institutions, such as the World Bank, IMF and United Nations, to develop a comprehensive approach that will help put food on the table for nearly a billion people going hungry across the world."