Biofuels in sub-Sahara Africa: drivers, impacts and priority policy areas

Gasparatos, Alexandros, von Maltitz, Graham P., Johnson, Francis X., Lee, Lisa Y., Mathai, Manu V., Puppim de Oliveira, José A. and Willis, Katherine J., (2015). Biofuels in sub-Sahara Africa: drivers, impacts and priority policy areas. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 45 879-901

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  • Sub-type Journal article
    Author Gasparatos, Alexandros
    von Maltitz, Graham P.
    Johnson, Francis X.
    Lee, Lisa Y.
    Mathai, Manu V.
    Puppim de Oliveira, José A.
    Willis, Katherine J.
    Title Biofuels in sub-Sahara Africa: drivers, impacts and priority policy areas
    Appearing in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
    Volume 45
    Publication Date 2015-05
    Place of Publication Amsterdam
    Publisher Elsevier
    Start page 879
    End page 901
    Language eng
    Abstract There has been a growing interest in jatropha- and sugarcane-based biofuels across Sub-Sahara Africa. Biofuel expansion in the region reflects policy concerns related to energy security, poverty alleviation and economic development. However, biofuels have also been linked to numerous environmental and socioeconomic impacts such as GHG emissions, water availability/pollution, deforestation, biodiversity loss, poverty alleviation, energy security, loss of access to land and food security to name just a few. Yet there is (a) an insufficient understanding of these impacts (and their synergies) in Sub-Sahara Africa, and (b) a lack of policies that could regulate the biofuel sector and ensure its viability while at the same time preventing its negative impact. The aim of this literature review is to synthesize the current knowledge about biofuel impacts in Africa and to identify priority policy areas that should be targeted for enhancing biofuel sustainability in the continent. The findings of this review indicate that biofuel impacts can be positive or negative depending on several factors such as the feedstock, the environmental/socio-economic context of biofuel production, and the policy instruments in place during biofuel production, use and trade. In most cases there are significant trade-offs but at least part of the negative impacts can be mitigated through careful planning. The incomplete and piecemeal understanding of these trade-offs combined with agronomic, institutional and market failures are currently the most important barriers for the viability and sustainability of biofuel investments in the continent.
    Keyword Biofuels
    Sub-Saharan Africa
    Sugarcane
    Jatropha
    Sustainability impacts
    Biofuel policies
    Copyright Holder Elsevier
    Copyright Year 2015
    Copyright type All rights reserved
    ISSN 13640321
    DOI 10.1016/j.rser.2015.02.006
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    Created: Thu, 23 Apr 2015, 12:38:55 JST by Makiko Arima on behalf of UNU IAS