The effect of the bio fuel is there, but the significance of it is less than what is often proposed. It's easy to point out since it's a recent and evident contribution to the current situation, whereas the more gradual increase of demand for feeding livestock and the increase in population and thus the overall consumption itself are not so obvious.
Some idea of the impact of the increase in meat consumption in China alone: the yearly consumption has increased by 50 billion kg per year during the last 7 years. The increase alone corresponds the yearly meat consumption of the whole EU region. To produce one kg of meat (pork given as an example), you need an average of 4.3 kg of feeding. So the total increase in demand of soy/wheat and other plants used as animal feeding from China alone corresponds to around 215 billion kg.
The estimated total production of food plants in the world in the year 2008 is 2,164 billion kg, so the increase of demand from China alone corresponds around 10 % percent of the total crops this year. And as I said, this is just China's increase. It will keep on growing and other regions will also see more demand for meat based products.
www.fao.org/docrep/010/ai465e/ai465e01.htm
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