biofuels and local livelihoods @ tec knust

7/31/2019 Biofuels and Local Livelihoods @ TEC KNUST

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Livelihood impacts of biofuels:Analyses of evidence from hot spots of biofuel investments

(Boamah, 2009)


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Discourses driving perceived impacts of biofuels

Discourse refers toa discourse refers to a manner of

perceiving and presenting a particular issue that is shared bymore than one person (Benjaminsen & Svarstad, 2010:387).Expressed through the use of narratives (Roe,1991)

discourses may obscure their proponents from seeingalternative interpretations and actions (ibid.).

Examples of hegemonic discourses;

Win-win discourses (IFAD, Rural Consult Ltd etc.)

Populist (pessimistic) discourses (eg.Oxfam, Action-AidInternational, IFPR1,OECD etc. )


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Analyses of the livelihood

impacts of biofuels will focus on;

Consequences on food production

Employment creation (direct and indirect).

Community development projects


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Decisive factors of the livelihood impacts

of biofuels;

The production models adopted & social

responsibility of the biofuel investor(s)

Livelihood diversification

Land use pattern and land availability


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The production models adopted & social

responsibility of biofuel investors

Three biofuel production models can be recognized (Sulley &

Nelson, 2009).

1.Large scale plantations ( biofuel companies control allaspects of production and processing).eg. SEKAB BT, Bioshape,

FELISA, and Sun Biofuels, BioFuel Africa Ltd., etc

2. Contract farmers and independent suppliers(biofuelcompanies enter into contracts with local farmers). eg. DiligentEnergy Systems

3. Hybrid models (combines production from largeplantations and small-scale farmers). eg. SEKAB BT


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Continued

-food crop production

Negotiation with farmers for relocation toadjacent farmland areas with compensation-

BioFuel Africa Ltd.

Intercropping in jatropha rows with maize


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Free ploughing for chiefs and reduced cost of

ploughing for large scale farmers


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Farms for plantation

workers Maize farms for project villages

Food crop production increased.


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However,

Through its local affiliate, Sun Biofuels Tanzania Ltd,

Sun Biofuels acquired 8,211 ha in Kisarawe district ofTanzania for biofuel production.

Rural peoples access to land have been compromised

as village land areas are transferred into general land

for use by the biofuel company, depriving 10,000

peasant farmers in 12 villages (Sulley & Nelson, 2009).

Confusion over compensation payments (ibid.).


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ve oo vers cat on

Spread of economic activities away from reliance on the

primary enterprises to seek a wider range of on-and off-farm sources of income (Devereux & Maxwell, 2001: 86).

Over 5,000 farmers contracted by Diligent Biofuel

Company in Northern Tanzania had a new income source

in addition to farming without ceding farmlands.

Monduli district of Tanzania, jatropha has become analternative source of income for women in Mto wa Mbu

village through seed collection, oil extraction and soap

making as well as jatropha seedling production and sales

to processing companies and NGOs (ibid).


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In the Yendi project villages,Livelihoods in

addition to FARMING

Charcoal business Firewood

business


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BioFuel Africa recruited over 60% of its workers from

project villages. New income sources plus farming!

Employment in the plantation Farming opportunities


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Land availability and the type of land used

Tanzania wetland areas (Bagamoyo, Kisarawe, Rufiji districts) are

useful for rice, wheat & also fuelwood, charcoal production,traditional medicines,etc.

Rufiji district of Tanzania-4 villages leased out land areas for SEKAB BT

despites its agric. Potential for residents.

In the Sao Paulo region, additional 362,000 ha of sugar caneproduction btn 1974 & 1979 led to the decline of land areas used for

the production of food crops like maize and rice & food prices as well

as displacement of farmers (ibid.).

The concept of waste land-Tamil Nadu State of India. It includesdense forests lands, protective hedge around agricultural fields,

farmlands under agroforestry, fallow lands, tracks of public lands along

railways, roads, and canals. Wastelands definition is biased and thus

includes productive lands.


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ContinuedMalleability makes it difficult to estimate what kind of land

use and land cover types are really being converted toagrofuels, under which property rights they exist, and to

whom they are being given (Pere Ariza-Montobbio et al.,

2010).

Rajasthan Land Revenue Rules 2007, Tamil Nadu has alsoincluded a leasing component in its Comprehensive

Wasteland Development Programme (CWP).

Convincing rural people to cultivate jatropha either on so-called wastelands or in contract with private companies

meanwhile poor yields, food shortages,unfulfilled promises

by companies in contract farming is big challenge to small

scale farmers.


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Continued

Jatropha not yielding short-term benefits

compared to traditional food & cash crops

(eg.groundnut).

Population density- Rajastan state of India (165

persons per sq. km.), BUTYendi district of N.

Ghana (26.6 persons per sq. km). Low pop. Density

in the project villages due tempoary residence.

Contradicts the pro-poor rhetoric?


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Biofuel reports are interwoven with

interest

Therefore, because interest determines what is

investigated, what is published and what issuppressed (Herring, 2008), analyses of biofuels

reports should be treated with prudence.


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Analysis must be context-specific

How must resources are diverted from thedominant livelihoods of projects areas to

biofuels production.

ORThe trade-offs between livelihoods and biofuels

TUSEN TAKK!

biofuels and local livelihoods @ tec knust

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