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US Republicans call for end to biofuels mandate

05 September 2008

US Republicans have called for an end to the controversial mandate that requires petrol to contain a set amount of ethanol.

At the Republican Convention in St Paul, Minnesota, on Monday (September 1st), the ruling party stated that mandates for ethanol should end, instead allowing the free market to operate autonomously.

The policy, which requires that the US's biofuels production reaches nine billion gallons by the end of the year, has been backed by the Bush administration.

Matt Hartwig, spokesman for the The Renewable Fuels Association, said: "Ethanol is providing a desperately needed, stable supply of motor fuel as we see threats to oil availability continue, either because of geopolitical unrest evidenced by Russia's invasion of Georgia, or by Mother Nature in the form of Hurricane Gustav."

The mandate has seen income from farming in the US rise, but critics argue that the requirement has placed too much pressure on food supplies.

The US state congressman for Iowa recently announced that he would be pushing the US government for the country's first biofuels pipeline.