Zambia:
Grabbed by the agrofuel stampede
In Africa,
agrofuel initiatives
are proliferating in many countries including Zambia, where jatropha
has been selected as the main crop to produce biodiesel while
sugar cane, sweet sorghum and cassava are chosen for bioethanol.
A research undertaken
by Matongo Mundia (1) in 2007 explains that “As on the rest of
the continent, much of the drive for biofuel developments in Zambia
comes from talk of achieving energy security and supporting social
and economic development. However, there seems to be a lack of
clarity over whether investment and targets are aimed at production
of biofuels for the Zambian market or for export.”
The Zambian government
has supported and endorsed the production of agrofuel
but the sector is fairly new in the
country. The report identifies D1 Oils -- a UK-based global
producer of biodiesel -- and Marli Investments as the main
drivers of agrofuel
production. Through the Biofuels Association of Zambia (BAZ),
the agrofuel industry has been trying to get incentives such as
minimum agrofuel
blends for all consumers, and the provision of incentives that
may fuel capital for the development of the sector.
“It seems that companies
such as D1 Oils may be promoting biofuels as a domestic
energy strategy, in order to open the door to amenable legislation,
while really intending to focus biofuel production on the export
market. The likelihood that biofuel production will ultimately
be targeted at export markets, and fail to benefit Zambians, is
supported by the fact that Zambia has no biofuel refining facilities
and D1 Oils are building a refinery in Durban, South Africa.
Once the product has left the country, the greater buying power
of the European consumer will undoubtedly prevail”, explains the
report.
A shared fate in most places where large-scale
agrofuel schemes have been launched is that of deforestation and
displacement: “66% of Zambia’s landmass is comprised of woodlands
and forests, some of which are of special importance such as those
in the river headwaters (catchment areas), forest reserves and
game parks. Only about 26% of Zambian woodlands and forests
could be used for further agricultural productivity such as crops
for agrofuels. However, even without clearing
more forests for agriculture, Zambia is already experiencing very
high levels of deforestation. In a recent statement, Copperbelt
Province Minister Mr. Mwansa Mbulakulima intimated that a de-gazzeted
forest reserve will be given to investors (The Post, 4th May 2007).
It is not yet public knowledge whether this give-away will go
towards biofuel production, or to other industry developments.
However, this indicates that biofuel developments leading to deforestation
will not find many obstacles from local or national government.”
“There are serious questions in Zambia about
land availability for conversion to agrofuel production, and the
impact it will have on farmers, food production, forested areas
and indigenous peoples. The Lands Act of 1995, provides for the
conversion of customary tenure to leasehold tenure, and many investors
have already used this provision to expropriate land for investment
purposes. The government of Zambia has intimated that they want
to adopt a market oriented land policy, and the new draft land
policy also looks to be taking these strategies forward.”
A
strong opposition to agrofuels has been rapidly mounting up challenging
both the alleged “carbon neutral” solution they claim to be and
their environmental and social impacts. In
November 2007, several African civil society organisations made
“An African Call for a Moratorium on Agrofuel Developments” (2)
calling for a moratorium on new agrofuel developments on their
continent. “We need to protect our food security, forests,
water, land rights, farmers and indigenous peoples from the aggressive
march of agrofuel developments, which are devouring our land and
resources at an unbelievable scale and speed,” reads the call.
They warn that “the
agrofuels ‘revolution’ is geared to replace millions of hectares
of local agricultural systems, and the rural communities working
in them, with large plantations. It is oriented to substitute
biodiversity-based indigenous cropping, grazing and pasture farming
systems with monocultures and genetically engineered agrofuel
crops. In addition, the millions of hectares of what the agrofuel-pushers
euphemistically call ‘wastelands’ or ‘marginal soils’ are to be
turned to ‘productive’ fuel production, conveniently forgetting
that millions of people in local communities make a living from
these fragile ecosystems. And where there are no indigenous farming
systems to replace, one just takes the forests. In the driver’s
seat are the multinational corporations that manage these kinds
of huge monocultures best and already control the international
market for agrofuels.”
And they conclude: “We can ill afford to lose
our food, forests, land and water, if we are to meet the challenges
of climate change and food insecurity. We therefore ask our African
governments and those of the North to stop and think. We urgently
call for a moratorium that can protect Africa from the many threats
of the new and dangerous Agrofuels stampede.”
Article based on information from: (1) “Agrofuels
in Africa – The impacts on land, food and forests”, African Biodiversity
Network, July 2007, Biofuel case study: Zambia, Matongo
Mundia, commissioned by Clement Chipokolo,
http://www.gaiafoundation.org/documents/AgrofuelAfrica_Jul2007.pdf;
(2) November 2007, An African Call for a Moratorium on Agrofuel
Developments,
http://www.africanbiodiversity.org/media/1210585794.pdf?
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