THE Government has been strongly criticised for not doing enough to tackle global warming.

The NFU is so frustrated that it has complained to the European Commission about Government inaction.

Tim Bennett, NFU president, hoped it would embarrass the Government into action, coinciding with the Government being host to the G8 summit, which was focusing on climate change.

He said the NFU had taken a lead role in the development of biofuels "but I am increasingly frustrated with the Government's position".

No-one denied biofuels could play a major part in reducing carbodn dioxide emissions and, while America did not believe in climate change, the country was running a huge programme of ethanol from corn.

"Meanwhile, the UK has taken upon itself the role of the world's prophet on global warming, but is not doing anywhere near enough to tackle the problem, particularly on biofuel," Mr Bennett said.

"The European target is a 2pc inclusion of renewables in transport fuel this year, but our own UK target is only 0.3pc. Frankly, this is not good enough and that is why the NFU has written to the commission pointing out this and other deficiencies in the UK programme."

The NFU believed the ultimate target of 5.7pc renewable fuel by 2010 was both realistic and achievable, provided Government policy led the way through a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.

"And, of course, we want to ensure that the bulk of this fuel is produced here, not imported from Brazil," said Mr Bennett.

Arthur Hill, NFU commodities board chairman, was also at Cereals 2005 and had just returned from a visit to America where, he said, the US cereals sector made use of futures, crop insurance and alternative markets to deal with the vagaries and volatility of prices and production.

"One thing was absolutely clear and that was the insatiable demand for fuel to satisfy a huge problem the Americans have," he said. "The removal from the market of 35m tonnes of corn to satisfy a growing ethanol market has revitalised trade and removed the surplus.

"It has also allowed co-ops and farmer-controlled businesses to move further up the chain and add value to their harvest.

"We need to keep hammering away at Government's door and make them realise that their energy policy is unsustainable in the long term and they need to act on biofuels now - tomorrow is too far away."