Abstract

The issue of biofuels has already been much debated, but the focus to date has largely been on Latin America and deforestation - this highly original work breaks fresh ground in looking at the African perspective. Most African governments see biofuels as having the potential to increase agricultural productivity and export incomes and thus strengthen their national economies, improving energy balances and rural employment. At the same time climate change may be addressed through reduction of green house gas emissions. There are, however, a number of uncertainties mounting that challenge this scenario. Using cutting-edge empirical case studies, this knowledge gap is addressed in a variety of chapters examining the effects of large-scale biofuel production on African agriculture. In particular, 'land grabbing' and food security issues are scrutinised, both of which have become vital topics in regard to the environmental and developmental governance of African countries. A revealing book for anyone wishing to understand the startling impact of biofuels and land grabbing on Africa.
Prosper B. Matondi is the Executive Director of Ruzivo Trust, a not for profit organization based in Harare, Zimbabwe. He has widely published and has made a contribution to many international, regional and international networks on land and agrarian reform issues. Kjell Havnevik is senior researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute and head of the institute's research cluster on Rural and Agrarian Dynamics, Property and Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. Atakilte Beyene is a researcher in rural development. He is based at the Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. He is also a lecturer at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden where he also doubles up as coordinator of an international MSc program in Integrated Water Resources Management.
'This is a most welcome and timely addition to the growing literature on biofuels. It comprises an interesting mix of country (Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana) and broad studies, which raises serious concerns about the future of African smallholder farmers, usefully critiques the famous Brazilian biofuels "success story", and makes a strong and surely unanswerable case for increased African intellectual engagement in this disturbing and highly dangerous field.' Robin Palmer, Mokoro Ltd, Oxford, formerly Global Land Adviser, Oxfam GB 'A timely set of probes into one of Africa's burning issues. It assembles concrete findings of why and how the continent's land resources are being packaged in new forms and served up to outside corporations and sovereign funds to be used to meet the latest scarcities of fuel and food of developed and emerging countries - and how these processes are at the expense of food security in Africa and of the rights and livelihoods of its farmers.' Lionel Cliffe, Emeritus Professor, University of Leeds 'Biofuels, Land Grabbing and Food Security in Africa represents the most substantial collection of research to date on the implications of global investment for the local poor.' James Smith, University of Edinburgh 'Biofuels, Land Grabbing and Food Security in Africa provides a rigorous and convincing analysis on the unfolding re-colonisation of Africa in the name of foreign investment.' Mandivamba Rukuni, Director, Wisdom Afrika Leadership Academy