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.
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An essential book for anyone wishing to understand the startling impact of biofuels and land outsourcing on Africa.
1. Introduction: Biofuels, Food Security and Land Grabbing in Africa - Prosper B. Matondi, Kjell Havnevik and Atakilte Beyene2. Grabbing of African Lands for Energy and Food - Implications for Land Rights, Food Security and Smallholders - Kjell Havnevik3. Biofuels Governance - a Matter of Discursive and Actor Intermesh- Marie Widengard4. Peak Oil and Climate Change: Triggers of the Drive for Biofuel Production - Rune Skarstein5. Attracting Foreign Direct Investment in Africa in the Context of Land Grabbing for Biofuels and Food Security - Prosper B. Matondi and Patience Mutopo6. Smallholder Led Transformation Towards Bio-Fuel Production in Ethiopia - Atakilte Beyene7. Biofuel, Land and Environmental Issues - the Case of SEKAB's Biofuel Plans in Tanzania - Kjell Havnevik and Hanne Haaland8. Agro-Investments in Zimbabwe at a Time of Redistributive Land Reforms - Prosper B. Matondi9. Competition Between Biofuel and Food? Re-Thinking Biofuel Narratives, Evidence From a Jatropha Biodiesel Project in Northern Ghana - Festus Boamah10. Land Grabbing, Smallholder Farmers and the Meaning of Agro-Investor Driven Agrarian Change in Africa - Prosper B. Matondi, Kjell Havnevik and Atakilte Beyene
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'This is a most welcome and timely addition to the growing literature on biofuels. It comprises an interesting mix of country (Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana) and broad studies, which raises serious concerns about the future of African smallholder farmers, usefully critiques the famous Brazilian biofuels "success story", and makes a strong and surely unanswerable case for increased African intellectual engagement in this disturbing and highly dangerous field.' Robin Palmer, Mokoro Ltd, Oxford, formerly Global Land Adviser, Oxfam GB 'A timely set of probes into one of Africa's burning issues. It assembles concrete findings of why and how the continent's land resources are being packaged in new forms and served up to outside corporations and sovereign funds to be used to meet the latest scarcities of fuel and food of developed and emerging countries - and how these processes are at the expense of food security in Africa and of the rights and livelihoods of its farmers.' Lionel Cliffe, Emeritus Professor, University of Leeds 'Biofuels, Land Grabbing and Food Security in Africa represents the most substantial collection of research to date on the implications of global investment for the local poor.' James Smith, University of Edinburgh 'Biofuels, Land Grabbing and Food Security in Africa provides a rigorous and convincing analysis on the unfolding re-colonisation of Africa in the name of foreign investment.' Mandivamba Rukuni, Director, Wisdom Afrika Leadership Academy
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781848138780
Publisert
2011-06-09
Utgiver
Vendor
Zed Books Ltd
Høyde
216 mm
Bredde
138 mm
Aldersnivå
05, UP
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
248

Biographical note

Prosper B. Matondi is the Executive Director of Ruzivo Trust, a not for profit organization based in Harare, Zimbabwe. He has widely published and has made a contribution to many international, regional and international networks on land and agrarian reform issues. Kjell Havnevik is senior researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute and head of the institute's research cluster on Rural and Agrarian Dynamics, Property and Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. Atakilte Beyene is a researcher in rural development. He is based at the Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. He is also a lecturer at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden where he also doubles up as coordinator of an international MSc program in Integrated Water Resources Management.