Jos — Environmental Rights Action, Friends of the Earth Nigeria ERA/FoEN have condemned the amount of farmlands taken in Africa to meet Europe's increasing demand for bio fuels.

Head of Media, ERA/FoEN, Philip Jakpor, said a new research conducted by the group shows that the amount of lands being taken to satisfy bio fuel driven countries in Africa "is underestimated."

According to a statement from the group, the research "which looked at 11 African countries, found at least five million hectares of land - an area the size of Denmark being acquired by foreign companies to produce bio fuels mainly for the European market."

"The practice known as 'land grabbing' is increasing and is dominated by European companies. However, with official public information largely absent, current figures are likely to be only a snapshot and gross underestimates," ERA said.

According to the research, even more land will be required for bio fuels if the European Union is to reach its target of 10% of transport fuels from renewable sources by 2020.

ERA/FoEN African Food and Agricultural coordinator, Marianne Bassey, said: "The expansion of bio fuels on our continent is transforming forests and natural vegetation into fuel crops, taking away food-growing farmland from communities, and creating conflicts with local people over land ownership. We want real investment in agriculture that allows us to produce food and not fuel for foreign cars."

ERA said "this is just one example of Europe's over use of the world's resources," adding Friends of the Earth Europe is calling on the EU to start measuring and curbing its use of land, water, materials and climate emissions around the world.