Agrofuels in South Africa - Projects, players and poverty

Dec 2008

The South African government has readily embraced the establishment of an agrofuels industry, citing job creation, the need for clean and renewable energy and the creation of markets for small-holder farmers, as key motivators.
Agrofuel production in South Africa has been identified as a key growth sector in the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA), a national programme aimed at increasing economic growth. During October 2006, a feasibility report promoting the establishment of an agrofuels industry in South Africa was published. Subsequently in December 2007, a final Biofuels Industrial Strategy was finalised.
This paper provides an overview of South Africa’s emerging agrofuels industry, beginning with an examination of the current policy context facilitating these developments. The paper then presents pertinent information concerning the industrial scale agrofuels projects in the country, including identifying the public and private corporations involved.
The final part of the paper discusses some of the implications and key concerns that arise from these developments.
It should be noted that the study is only a starting point and needs to be supplemented by the experiences of communities at the receiving end of the agrofuels development projects.

By: The African Centre for Biosafety

 
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