Biofuels, Land Grabbing and Food Security in Africa

Prosper B. Matondi, Kjell Havnevik, Atakilte Beyene, Prosper B. Matondi, Kjell Havnevik, Atakilte Beyene

• Publisher: Zed Books
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN:
  9781848138797
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781848138803
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Political Economy
• Index: Economics

The issue of biofuels has already been much debated, but the focus to date has largely been on Latin America and deforestation - this highly original work breaks fresh ground in looking at the African perspective. Most African governments see biofuels as having the potential to increase agricultural productivity and export incomes and thus strengthen their national economies, improving energy balances and rural employment. At the same time climate change may be addressed through reduction of green house gas emissions.

There are, however, a number of uncertainties mounting that challenge this scenario. Using cutting-edge empirical case studies, this knowledge gap is addressed in a variety of chapters examining the effects of large-scale biofuel production on African agriculture. In particular, 'land grabbing' and food security issues are scrutinised, both of which have become vital topics in regard to the environmental and developmental governance of African countries.

A revealing book for anyone wishing to understand the startling impact of biofuels and land grabbing on Africa.

Table of contents

• About the series
• About the editors
• Tables, figure, boxes and maps
• Acronyms
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Introduction: biofuels, food security and land grabbing in Africa
• 1 | Grabbing of African lands for energy and food: implications for land rights, food security and smallholders
• 2 | Biofuel governance: a matter of discursive and actor intermesh
• 3 | Peak oil and climate change: triggers of the drive for biofuel production
• 4 | Attracting foreign direct investment in Africa in the context of land grabbing for biofuels and food security
• 5 | Smallholder-led transformation towards biofuel production in Ethiopia
• 6 | Biofuel, land and environmental issues: the case of SEKAB’s biofuel plans in Tanzania
• 7 | Agro-investments in Zimbabwe at a time of redistributive land reforms
• 8 | Competition between biofuel and food? Evidence from a jatropha biodiesel project in Northern Ghana
• Conclusion: land grabbing, smallholder farmersand the meaning of agro-investor-driven agrarian change in Africa
• Notes
• References
• Other contributors
• Index