ABSTRACT
Specific local solutions must be found to the global problems of food and energy responding to the variety of ecological, cultural socio-economic and political contexts. Consideration of the food-energy nexus provides a convenient entry-point into these two crucial domains of development planning. While the effects of expansive energy on food prices are relatively well known, more investigation is necessary to document the regressive social impact of the increases in real prices of energy and food in terms of income distribution and shifts in the consumption patterns. The chances of competition between food and biomass energy for land, but also capital and other scarce resources, will be greatly enhanced by the juxtaposition of single-purpose agricultural projects evaluated on a micro-economic basis with little or no consideration for the externalized social and ecological costs. Countering the food and energy barriers calls for development of East-West scientific and technical cooperation.
