Brazil has defended its ethanol agreement with the United States amid criticisms by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Mr Chavez, a staunch critic of President Bush, has warned that Brazil's deal with Washington would monopolise arable lands and starve the poor - concerns shared by his Cuban ally Fidel Castro.
But an adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denied the claim that Brazil's plan would increase food prices, defending it as a way of creating jobs.
"Nobody stops eating due to shortage of food. People stop eating due to lack of income. That's the fundamental issue," he said.
Mr Chavez did not publicly discuss his dispute over ethanol with Mr Silva at the start of a two-day energy summit yesterday, but the Venezuelan leader has pledged to explain his objections to last month's US-Brazil ethanol agreement.
The United States and Brazil are the world's two biggest producers of ethanol - the alcohol-based fuel made from crops such as sugarcane or corn.
They signed an "alliance" last month to promote its production in the region and create international quality standards to allow it to be traded as a commodity like oil.
Mr Chavez's concerns are shared by some experts who say that even if all arable land on Earth were turned over to biofuel production, it still would not meet world demand for fuel. Venezuela still plans to expand its own ethanol production for use as a fuel additive.