Biochar land grabbing: the impacts on Africa

Nov 2009

A new technology called “biochar” is being promoted as a major “geo-engineering” solution to global climate change, as well as a means of improving soils and addressing poverty. But this technology raises serious scientific and social concerns. Many questions need to be answered before claims about biochar can stand up to scrutiny.
Africa is a particular target for biochar, largely due to the commonly held perception that there is abundant land available waiting for development.
In an atmosphere of climate urgency, biochar advocates hope that their product will be fast-tracked into the carbon market and gain accreditation through international climate negotiations. Biochar certainly has a huge potential for profit-making for private companies.
But the negative impacts of large-scale biochar development in Africa are likely to be dramatic, including exacerbating land-grabbing in Africa. Some biochar advocates admit that up to 1 billion hectares of plantations, largely in Africa, will be needed to grow the trees necessary for biochar production on a scale large enough to impact climate.
Africa is already experiencing massive land grabbing. Indigenous communities, forests, water resources and food production are already impacted by large-scale land grabs for agrofuels (biofuels) production and foreign agricultural investment. This has exacerbated evictions, food insecurity and land conflicts at a time when the continent is already suffering from the impacts of climate change.
The positioning of Biochar as climate change solution is dangerously premature. Claims about the potential for long-term carbon sequestration, soil fertility improvements and other stated benefits do not stand up to scrutiny – the tests have simply not been done. In fact, there is potential for biochar to worsen climate change, and pose health risks to rural Africans.
This briefing aims to highlight the impact that biochar developments will have on Africa’s land, forests, agriculture and communities. It outlines the advanced state of biochar “field trials” in Africa, and highlights the flawed assumptions, unanswered questions and serious risks that biochar production may pose.

By: The African Biodiversity Network, Biofuelwatch, Gaia Foundation

 
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