The broad aim of our biofuels pilot project in 2008 was to raise awareness and understanding of the true opportunities and threats emerging from the current biofuel boom in the drylands of Africa. Very little is known of the impacts that this embryonic yet rapidly expanding industry will have on the rural poor. For instance, biofuel production could be positive for pastoralists, providing additional jobs, animal feed and resources or it could be negative, leading to further land alienation on a large-scale.
Our aim was to provide pastoralist communities affected by biofuel development with the analysis, skills, knowledge and access to policy processes necessary for them to defend their rights and articulate their experiences to those in power. Through the project we wanted to influence policy and practice at the regional level by sharing experiences of current impacts, key lessons and strategic development options through pan-Sahelian links. Unfortunately, further funding could not be secured and so the pilot project was not developed.
Activities
On 22 October 2008, SOS Sahel UK hosted a high-level workshop on biofuel development in response to
concerns from our African partners. The workshop drew together leading experts in dryland agriculture,
pastoralism and bioenergy from academic, international development and NGO sectors to agree on some
fundamental issues.
Of immediate concern was the lack of consideration for pastoral livelihoods within the
biofuel debate. Several gaps in knowledge were also uncovered regarding the risks and opportunities of
biofuel development in dryland Africa. One of the most worrying, given the rapid expansion of Jatropha
cultivation, was the lack of data in the public domain concerning the agronomy and economics of the crop
under African conditions.
- SOS Sahel Ethiopia
- RECONCILE – local NGO operating in Kenya and Uganda