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| Fig. 1: This female farmer's land was purchased by a foreign investor. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
In recent decades, across Sub-Saharan Africa, and in other regions across the globe, biofuels, all fuels derived from organic material, have emerged as an industry with the power to provide a new source of income in rural communities. As an alternative to traditional agricultural practices, biofuels encourage economic growth and therefore financial security and wellbeing for those in underserved communities, as the production of biofuels can be pursued by small landowners. [1] In Tanzania specifically, the growth of the biofuel industry has the potential to replace existing expensive oil imports that account for US $1.3-1.6 billion annually. [1] Tanzania must import oil because it does not have its own fossil fuel reserves. [2] In this way, biofuels can allow the country to be more self-sufficient in its energy production and decrease reliance on limited natural resources. [2]
Currently, over 4 million hectares of land have been requested for biofuel development in Tanzania. However, only 640,000 hectares have been approved thus far. Of these 640,000, only 100,000 hectares have begun biofuel development. [1] The slow development of biofuel across the country is a result of protests from farmers and environmental groups against biofuels. Furthermore, Tanzania itself does not currently have an energy policy that clearly addresses laws and regulations towards biofuel development and usage. Therefore, there is no strong legal framework for biofuel usage and development, which puts those with fewer resources, such as residents of local communities, in positions of vulnerability. [3] As seen in Fig. 1, foreign investors often buy land from locals, leaving them without farmland and limited ways of creating livelihood.
While a significant portion of land in Tanzania is fertile, the use of biofuel allows local farmers to utilize land that they have previously been unable to cultivate. Biofuel development in Tanzania also provides the country with an opportunity to conserve forested areas, which are often deforested at a rate faster than they can repopulate. [3]
Additionally, the development of biofuel in Tanzania gives women in rural communities the opportunity to be involved in biofuel businesses and production. Indeed, through jatropha seed collection, oil extraction, and soap production, women have developed their own sources of income. [1] Therefore, biofuel production can work to empower women and girls in rural communities and re-orient the social fabric of villages in a positive way.
In a country with some of the strictest environmental laws across the African continent, the development of biofuels spurs fears about overall environmental degradation. Furthermore, while the aim of biofuels in Tanzania would be to empower small landowners, tensions currently exist between private companies, local citizens, and the government over property and land use rights. [1] Many locals worry that their land will remain unprotected against large corporations looking to capitalize on new biofuel production. Because many of these companies are foreign, worries exist about resource-use rights and which individuals and corporations are entitled to the use of certain resources. [3] It is also likely that these foreign, private companies want to take advantage of the low cost of land and labor in Tanzania. These concerns are indeed valid, as private companies have pursued biofuel in Tanzania with the goal of eventually exporting, as opposed to using biofuel to meet Tanzania's own energy needs. [2]
Private companies should contract local small landowners for biofuel development. In this way, complicated land ownership laws and compensation rules can be avoided through contracts between individuals and corporations. The government, along with larger corporations in Tanzania, should also encourage the development of farmers unions around biofuel development in Tanzania. In this way, local people will be given a voice and the profits of biofuel will not be isolated. [1] By involving locals in the development of a biofuel governance system, the government can also avoid how it defines marginal lands for biofuel use. What the government considers marginal land may indeed be space that is vital to the livelihood of the local community in that region. [2]
The Tanzanian government must also take action to develop a more comprehensive land rights system. This system must depart from the country's colonial past and support the property claims of native peoples. If the Tanzanian government could create a detailed and efficient system for biofuel production, the country could eventually export biofuels, and biofuels could become a vital source of income for the nation. [2] However, above all it is crucial to preserve the overall environment of Tanzania and provide safeguards against negative impacts in terms of land access, environmental conservation, and food security. [1]
© Molly Mitchel. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] E. Sulle and F. Nelson, "Biofuels, Land Access and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania," International Institute for Environment and Development, 2009.
[2] A. M. Mshandete, "Biofuels in Tanzania: Status, Opportunities and Challenges," J. Appl. Biosci. 40, 2677 (2011).
[3] H. Sosovele, "Policy Challenges Related to Biofuel Development in Tanzania," Afr. Spectr. 45, 117 (2010).
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