An investigation of the Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts Biofuel Production in Africa and a comparison of Jatropha and Palm-oil

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Acknowledgement

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Significance of the study3

Layout of the Dissertation3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW4

Introduction4

Biofuels4

First Generation4

Second Generation5

Jatropha and Palm Oil6

Palm Oil7

Third Generation9

Fourth Generation9

Worldwide production of Biofuels10

Biofuels and Greenhouse Gases11

Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels12

Economic Performance13

Environmental Performance14

Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuel Production15

Comparison of Jatropha and Palm-Oil16

CHAPTER 03: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY17

Introduction17

Research Method17

Overview of the Secondary Research Method18

Justification of the Chosen Research21

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION23

Introduction23

Social Impact24

Economic Impact25

Environmental Impact26

CONCLUSION32

WORKS CITED34

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The current shift in the amount of the investments and production of biofuels is determined by examining some of the economic, geopolitical, ecological and social advantages involved. These advantages range from preserving the planet's future, solution to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions caused by fossil fuels. Biofuels are also sources of renewable energy, obtained from the combustion of many raw materials of plant and animal. As a result of these advantages, the countries that have key consumers and producers are establishing policies for providing incentives to the industry. On the other hand, some analysts and the stakeholders of industry continue to proclaim ecological and social advantages of biofuels.

However, substantial amount of information from research companies and civil society shows that questions are raised against these advantages (Abila, pp. 387-395). It is remarkable to know that the benefits and the associated costs are different for business models, landscapes as well as commodities. It can be observed that there is a difference in the derived and associated impacts to the Jatropha cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa with respect to oil palm in Indonesia. Both of these counties are moving forward with expansion in terms of industrial-scale production and smallholders models, although many of these dissimilarities sometimes go unnoticed (Fulton, pp. 41-54).

Biofuel has been accepted as a promising candidate to mitigate the reliance on fossil fuels as well as to reduce the GHG emission. Although the first generation biofuel has been successfully commercialized, it mainly relies on food and industrial crop, such as corn, sugarcane and soy bean, as feedstock, which needs deliberate cultivation. In fact, it has already been challenged by considerable concerns, like food security, water consumptions, indirect land change effects, etc. More importantly, its rigid production mode that converts a single kind of feedstock to usually a single primary product has made it highly vulnerable to the external disruption from both its input side (feedstock and commodity market) and output side (energy market). In another word, most of the first generation ...