potential of biofuels for reducing poverty
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Potential of biofuels for Potential of biofuels for reducing povertyreducing poverty
29 April 2009
FAO, Rome
Vineet Raswant
AgendaAgenda
Part 1: Part 1: Why are biofuels important for the rural poor?Why are biofuels important for the rural poor?
Part 2: Addressing the climate change mitigation agendaPart 2: Addressing the climate change mitigation agenda
Part 3: Biofuels and food securityPart 3: Biofuels and food security
Part 4: Biofuels and waterPart 4: Biofuels and water
Part 5: Biofuels and biodiversityPart 5: Biofuels and biodiversity
Why are biofuels Why are biofuels important for the rural important for the rural
poor?poor?
Why are biofuels important for the rural rural poor?poor?
Magnitude of the Poverty Problem(in billions)
0,0
1,0
2,0
3,0
4,0
5,0
6,0
7,0
8,0
Series1 6,7 2,5 1,3 0,9
Total Global PopulationTot. People earning their
livelihoods from Agriculture Tot. People Directly
employed in Agriculture Tot. People Below Poverty
Line
1 out of 51 out of 5 people are engaged in Agriculture.
Yet Agriculture only contributes to 4% of Global GDP.
Not surprising that poverty is largely in the agricultural sector.
Why are biofuels important for the rural rural poor?poor?
If these people stay in agriculture, they face many problems.
Commodity prices kept declining up to 2006.
Input costs have been going up.
Agriculture is unprofitable for many.
With declining land holdings the problems of smallholder
farmers could be even worse.
Why are biofuels important for the rural rural poor?poor?
Option 1:Option 1: Improve farm-gate prices.
Commodity Prices
0,00
500,00
1000,00
1500,00
2000,00
2500,00
3000,00
3500,00
ge
n-0
0
ma
g-0
0
se
t-0
0
ge
n-0
1
ma
g-0
1
se
t-0
1
ge
n-0
2
ma
g-0
2
se
t-0
2
ge
n-0
3
ma
g-0
3
se
t-0
3
ge
n-0
4
ma
g-0
4
se
t-0
4
ge
n-0
5
ma
g-0
5
se
t-0
5
ge
n-0
6
ma
g-0
6
se
t-0
6
ge
n-0
7
ma
g-0
7
se
t-0
7
ge
n-0
8
ma
g-0
8
se
t-0
8
ge
n-0
9
Time Period
Mo
nth
ly A
ve
ra
ge
s
PALM OIL ($/mt) SOYBEANS ($/mt) MAIZE ($/mt) RICE INDIC 5% ($/mt) WHEAT US HRW ($/mt)
Why are biofuels important for the rural rural poor?poor?
Option 2:Option 2: Take these people out of agriculture - as advocated by a number of economists.
Can they be absorbed in other sectors in developing countries, when most are agriculture-dependent economies?
Why are biofuels important for the rural rural poor?poor?
There is a need to expand the size of the agricultural basketexpand the size of the agricultural basket (as presently defined food, feed, and fibre) to employ such a large number of poor.
Biofuels have the potential to generate employment in rural areas, and trigger agricultural growth with implications for poverty reduction.
Cross-country econometric evidence indicates that GDP growth generated in agriculture is at least twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth generated by other sectors (World Bank, 2007).
Addressing the Addressing the climate change climate change
mitigation agendamitigation agenda
Alternative Biofuel CropsAlternative Biofuel Crops
Partly due to a current knowledge gap, experiences with food crops, which have unfortunately been used for biofuel production, are dictating perceptions about biofuels.
Should policies be dictated by such practices or lack Should policies be dictated by such practices or lack of knowledge? of knowledge?
Alternative Biofuel CropsAlternative Biofuel Crops
Jatropha, Pongamia, Cassava, Sweet sorghum: require less water, can be grown in relatively unfavourable agro-climatic
conditions, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Tropical sugarbeet, Seashore mallow, Camelina, Arundo donax can be grown in saline conditions.
There are about 60 million ha of land affected by secondary salinization, that – once R&D is conducted - can be used for biofuel production.
Biofuels and GHG savingsBiofuels and GHG savings
CropsCrops Average ReductionAverage Reduction
Maize -47% to +58%
Palm oil 31% to 90%
Soybean 53% to 78%
Next generation crops 60% to 120%
Why not develop a cut-off point, such as ‘any reduction Why not develop a cut-off point, such as ‘any reduction less than 40% is not acceptable’?less than 40% is not acceptable’?
Biofuels Biofuels and and
food securityfood security
Biofuels and food securityBiofuels and food security As experienced recently, food prices increased dramatically with
maize and other food crops being introduced as feedstock, affecting many poor households.
However, the medium-longer term implications of sustained increase in food prices can lead to higher production. (SOFA 2008, FAO)
Food production can also be increased through improved yields, and cultivating additional lands.
Land potentially available for expanded crop production is between 250-800 million Ha. (SOFA 2008, FAO)
Biofuels and food securityBiofuels and food security
Available analysis indicated that in general bio-fuels are not a primary cause of hunger, nor a direct driver of food insecurity (GEF-STAP Workshop on Liquid Biofuels, 2006).
Bio-energy crops could be a means to alleviate poverty, and to increase food security through income generation.
Food security is not just a problem of production, rather a problem of unequal access within developing countries (FAO 2005).
Supply of energy in rural areas is central to intensification of agriculture.
This has become a pressing issue only because some This has become a pressing issue only because some countries have used food crops for biofuels production.countries have used food crops for biofuels production.
Solution: Do not use food crops for bio-fuel production, or Solution: Do not use food crops for bio-fuel production, or promote multiple use crops.promote multiple use crops.
Biofuels Biofuels and and waterwater
Biofuels and waterBiofuels and water
Intensive cultivation of monoculture cash crops causes environmental externalities associated with: Pesticides, fertilizers, high water use (which lead to
water pollution and depleted resources).
Small scale farming production has lesser environmental impacts.
Why not promote smallholder biofuel crop production Why not promote smallholder biofuel crop production using CA techniques?using CA techniques?
Biofuels Biofuels and and
biodiversitybiodiversity
Biofuels and biodiversityBiofuels and biodiversity
Deforestation has been occurring because of lack of opportunities, before the demand for biofuels increased.
Despite the fact that biofuels might have accelerated the trend in some areas, it should not be considered the key driver for deforestation.
World population is expected to rise from 6.77 billion to about 9 billion by 2040, mostly in developing countries. How are these people meant to earn their income?
Why not promote production of suitable crops in dry Why not promote production of suitable crops in dry marginal lands in anticipation of these trends?marginal lands in anticipation of these trends?
ConclusionConclusion
ConclusionConclusion
Biofuels should be treated like any other cash crop.
Impacts could be minimized by preferring crop varieties and farming techniques which cause low or positive impacts.
A more balanced and a clear view on biofuels needs to be disseminated.
Thank you for your Thank you for your AttentionAttention