Livelihood impacts of biofuels:

Analyses of evidence from hot spots of biofuel investments

(Boamah, 2009)

Discourses driving perceived impacts of biofuels

Discourse refers toa discourse refers to a manner of perceiving and presenting a particular issue that is shared by more than one person (Benjaminsen & Svarstad, 2010:387). Expressed through the use of narratives (Roe,1991) discourses may obscure their proponents from seeing alternative interpretations and actions (ibid.).

Examples of hegemonic discourses; Win-win discourses (IFAD, Rural Consult Ltd etc.) Populist (pessimistic) discourses (eg.Oxfam, Action-Aid International, IFPR1,OECD etc. )

Analyses of the livelihood impacts of biofuels will focus on;

Consequences on food production Employment creation (direct and indirect).

Community development projects

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

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 all aspects of production and processing).eg. SEKAB BT, Bioshape, FELISA, and Sun Biofuels, BioFuel Africa Ltd., etc 2. Contract farmers and independent suppliers (biofuel companies enter into contracts with local farmers). eg. Diligent Energy Systems 3. Hybrid models (combines production from large plantations and small-scale farmers). eg. SEKAB BT

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-food crop production

Negotiation with farmers for relocation to adjacent farmland areas with compensationBioFuel Africa Ltd. Intercropping in jatropha rows with maize

Free ploughing for chiefs and reduced cost of ploughing for large scale farmers

Food crop production increased.

Farms for plantation workers Maize farms for project villages

However,
Through its local affiliate, Sun Biofuels Tanzania Ltd, Sun Biofuels acquired 8,211 ha in Kisarawe district of Tanzania 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.).

Livelihood diversification
Spread of economic activities away from reliance on the primary enterprises to seek a wider range of on-and offfarm 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 an alternative 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).

In the Yendi project villages,Livelihoods in addition to FARMING

Charcoal business

Firewood business

BioFuel Africa recruited over 60% of its workers from project villages. New income sources plus farming!
Employment in the plantation
Farming opportunities

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 cane production 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 includes dense forests lands, protective hedge around agricultural elds, 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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Malleability makes it dicult to estimate what kind of land use and land cover types are really being converted to agrofuels, 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 also included a leasing component in its Comprehensive Wasteland Development Programme (CWP). Convincing rural people to cultivate jatropha either on socalled 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.

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?

Biofuel reports are interwoven with interest

Therefore, because interest determines what is investigated, what is published and what is suppressed (Herring, 2008), analyses of biofuels reports should be treated with prudence.

Analysis must be context-specific

How must resources are diverted from the dominant livelihoods of projects areas to biofuels production. OR The trade-offs between livelihoods and biofuels TUSEN TAKK!