COMPETE – EU PROJECTCOMPETE – EU PROJECT Platform on Energy Crop and Agroforestry

Systems for Arid and Semi-arid Ecosystems- Africa (COMPETE)

Project Scope

• bring together:– world-leading scientists, researchers, funders and practitioners

from different fields and across the world to create a platform for discussion, knowledge exchange, policy and methodology development.

• Uses this concentrated expertise:– to provide strategic and practical guidance and tools on the

provision of modern bioenergy for the sustainable and optimal usage of these special ecosystems.

– This Project is coordinated by WIP-Renewable Energies, Germany.

Project duration: January 2007 to December 2009

 

Consortium Members• The COMPETE Consortium consists of 44

partners from 5 continents.

African partners are from Botswana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Project Objectives– is to stimulate bioenergy implementation in arid and

semi-arid regions in Africa by providing platform for:– policy dialogue and capacity building and identify

pathways for the sustainable provision of bioenergy.– COMPETE aims to improve the quality of life and

create alternative means of income for the rural population in Africa.

– supports the preservation of intact ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions in Africa.

– enhances the equitable exchange of knowledge between EU and developing countries.

– provides a platform for policy dialogue and capacity building and identify pathways for the sustainable provision of bioenergy.

Work packagesWP1 - Current Land Use PatternsWP2 –Improved Land UseWP3 –Sustainability Analysis of

Alternative Land UseWP4 –South-South and North-South

CooperationWP5 –Financing of Alternative Land Use and International TradeWP6 –Policy Development (FARNPAN)WP7 –Dissemination: Concept and Set-up of a

Competence Platform   

FANRPAN – WP6WP6 Activities:WP6 Activities:

• coordinate policy research activities in African coordinate policy research activities in African facilitating the efficient implementation of facilitating the efficient implementation of improved energy crop and agro-forestry systems improved energy crop and agro-forestry systems in order to enhance economic productivity and in order to enhance economic productivity and sustain rural and peri-urban livelihoods. sustain rural and peri-urban livelihoods.

• It is also aimed at avoiding adverse It is also aimed at avoiding adverse environmental and social degradation that could environmental and social degradation that could arise from faulty policy development and arise from faulty policy development and implementation.implementation.

• Work on Biofuel development /PolicyWork on Biofuel development /Policy

Definitions

• Bioenergy: fuel derived form Biomass –plant derived organic matter available on renewable basis

• Liquid biofuels – Liquid fuels from agric. and forest products or bio degradable portion of ind. Waste & municipal

Findings/ Biofuels

• Biofuels has generated vigorous debates:– Economic– Social– Environmental grounds

• The issue of biofuels is with us to stay• The potential is there in terms of:

– Employment opportunities, reduce traditional biomass dependence

– Wider growth multipliers & Energy price effects

Yet it is also fragile Yet it is also fragile

Social criticisms of biofuels production

• Links to food shortages and increased poverty in developing countries • Neo-colonialism in establishment of huge biofuels plantations

• Displacement of small farmers and indigenous people from their lands

• Loss of access and rights to land and resources for food crops, fuel, water, fodder, medicinal plants and wild food

Overview of the Context - SSA• Biofuels are a fairly modern, diverse and cross–cutting

sub–sector that brings together land, food security and energy issues

• Biofuels are being developed in a very complex, dynamic and diverse context

– creates a lot of challenges for policy makers in SSA.

• This is because the so called “biofuels portfolio” falls within two critical and powerful ministries in most African nations.

• These in most countries have created strong territorial issues (depending were the emphasis leans the pathway follows that (bio-energy/biofuels).

• Energy poverty dominates the development agenda (energy for cooking and heating)

Typical National Energy Supply of Most African Countries

othersoil/Gashydro/CoalBiomass

Production PatternsType of initiatives• Small scale (women involved mainly here –

community projects, Donor driven)• Large scale (in case of SA, PPP,)CropJatrophaPalm oilSugar beetCassava, sweet sorghumSoya, canola and sunflowerContext (mostly rural areas, agriculture has not

performed well) Extension, services delivery, finance etc

- “Marginal lands" arid and semi-arid) women though marginal are commons for fuel etc

- Arable lands (give threat to food security)

Biofuels production - SSA

Overview • In terms of financing biofuels:

– Trends - there is relatively low-level investment, – proliferation of a number of low cost uncoordinated projects and

programmes scattered all over the region and run by various organisation (mostly women involved).

– Large scale big companies (more male participation)– This is with the exceptions of countries like South Africa (Dynes,

2008 – Issues around land administration (titling, rights, etc)

• An overview of project reveal that most of the projects in the region are at various stages of development, but generally they are all in infancy stage

• General lack of a harmonized efforts towards an explicit criterion for sustainable dev. of biofuels for SSA.

• Arguably, policy directions in sub-Saharan Africa are emanating more from country driven initiatives, than a regional policy drive.

Background to Biofuels - Africa• Response to the increase in the promotion of biofuels, several

African countries are making efforts to introduce policies that specifically deal with biofuels – sustainability (poverty) – sustainability (poverty) – increase access to modern energyincrease access to modern energy.

• South Africa and Nigeria are the most active although a number

of activities are spreading fast throughout the continent – quality issue.

• Experimental jatropha plantations used for the production of bio-diesel are the most promoted interventions in sub Saharan Africa (e.g. Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe)

• Most of these initiatives are still in the planting and growing

stages.

• “practice is running faster than the policy development”.

Discussion in the country Discussion in the country • In the country, discussion around biofuels have

been active and have created platforms for debate, discussion (biofuels association – more activities noted in southern Africa more

• Rapid developments – have made people to question a lot of issue (food, land, employment, gender, water – mainly social issues)

• This is because biofuels development in Africa like elsewhere in the world is evidently magnifying inherent inequalities that currently exist in access to land and resources across geography gender and race.

Emerging Issues for FANRPAN

• In terms of FANRPAN, emerging issues for policy are:– Slow pace of policy development around biofuels in

Africa and the slow move by many governments. – The issue of transparency and corruption – Food, fuels and fertilizer – Need to craft policies that are pro-poor – Gender is highlighted as critical as the growers of

feedstock's are women. – Lack of harmonised policies on standards in the

region despite the fact that there would be certain context specific issues.

• COMPETE Project coming to and End • CAPACITY (POLICY ADVOCACY &

DIALOGUE)• To provide guidance to governments on

biofuels policy & guidelines that safeguard rural communities and the environment

• Platform for continued engagement• VOICE-To sensitize politicians & civil society

on the potential benefits as well as dangers of unregulated biofuels expansion

FANRPAN`S Niche

Thank You