Gender and equity issues in liquid biofuels production - Minimizing the risks to maximize the opportunities

Apr 2008

The contribution of developing countries to global biofuels production has the potential to grow considerably in the future, giving rise to significant environmental impacts and leading to major socio-economic transformations. At the present time, much of the development of biofuel feedstock production in developing countries is arising from the expectation that there will be significant opportunities for export, particularly to countries in the European community.
The environmental and socio-economic transformations prompted by the growing global demand for liquid biofuels might have different impacts on men and women in developing countries. Men and women within the same household as well as male- and female-headed households, could face different risks, particularly with regard to their access to and control of land and other productive assets, their level of participation in decision-making and socioeconomic activities, employment opportunities and conditions, and their food security.
This reflects men’s and women’s different roles and responsibilities within rural economies, as well as pre-existing socio-economic inequalities between them. Both the nature and the magnitude of the gender-differentiated impacts of liquid biofuels production will depend on the specific technology and on the socio-economic and policy context considered.

By: A. Rossi, Y. Lambrou (FAO)

 
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