Impacts of tropical land use conversion to jatropha and oil palm on rural livelihoods and ecosystem services in India and Mexico

随着化石燃料价格的上涨和对气候变化的担忧加剧，生物能源作物在国际上获得了突出地位。国际市场对生物能源作物的需求不断增加，可能导致与热带地区小农粮食生产发生冲突，如果开始大规模的森林土地转换，可能成为森林砍伐的驱动因素。另外，小农可能不会危及他们自己的粮食安全，并且可以在种植粮食作物的同时种植生物能源作物，将其生产纳入他们目前的土地使用系统，增加现金流，从而使他们能够购买投入物来加强粮食生产。盈利能力、能源平衡、社会和生态影响将取决于所使用的生物能源作物，它是如何种植的，用什么投入，在什么类型的土地上，如果有的话，土地的替代用途是什么，以及谁获得利益。因此，生物燃料生产是威胁还是机遇将取决于具体情况。麻疯树是一种灌木，原产于中美洲，但在热带地区广泛种植。它的种子含有20-30%的油，可以很容易地提取并转化为生物柴油，因此被宣传为生物能源作物。在墨西哥，麻风树传统上被用作树篱。2006年初开始大规模种植。到2008年，恰帕斯州种植了2万公顷，预计未来两年韦拉克鲁斯州将种植15万公顷。在印度，大规模的土地转化为麻疯树已经开始，例如，北方邦超过40万公顷的土地，印度政府已经提出，到2017年，生物燃料将占其运输燃料消耗的20%，从目前的5%。然而，尽管有这些雄心勃勃的项目，人们对它的产量、病虫害问题和环境影响知之甚少，因此在这种情况下种植麻疯树比种植另一种生物能源作物，如油棕更可取。麻疯树和油棕的生态范围在一定程度上有重叠。在印度，奥里萨邦和泰米尔纳德邦政府鼓励农民种植油棕，因为印度每年消耗约420万吨油棕。墨西哥也有类似的大型油棕项目。该项目旨在评估两种生物能源作物麻风树和油棕的盈利能力、经济、社会和环境影响。根据获得的数据，它旨在确定可持续和有利可图的产量以及经济、社会和环境生产风险的最合适地区和条件。它的目的是确定目前土地所有权制度或法律的不足，并制定立法以确保生物能源项目的社会可持续性和公平性。

Bioenergy crops have gained international prominence as fossil fuel prices increase and concerns about climate change grow. Increasing demand for bioenergy crops on international markets might lead to conflict with smallholder food production in the tropics and/or act as a driver of deforestation if large scale forest land conversions are initiated. Alternatively, smallholders might not jeopardise their own food security, and would grow bioenergy crops alongside food crops, incorporating their production into their current land use systems, increasing cash flow and thus permitting them to purchase inputs to intensify food production. The profitability, energy balance, social and ecological impacts will depend on the bioenergy crop used, how it is grown, with which inputs, on what type of land, what, if any, are the alternative uses of that land, and who reaps the benefit. So whether biofuel production is a threat or an opportunity will depend on the specific context. Jatropha curcas is a shrub, native to central America but is cultivated across the tropics. It is being promoted as a bioenergy crop as its seeds contain 20-30% oil, which can be easily extracted and converted to biodiesel. In Mexico, jatropha is traditionally used as a hedge. Large scale plantings were initiated in early 2006. By 2008, 20,000 ha were planted in Chiapas state and it is expected that 150,000 ha will be planted Veracruz state in the next two years. In India, large-scale land conversions to jatropha have been initiated, for example, more than 400,000 hectares of land in Uttar Pradesh state and the Indian government has proposed that biofuels account for 20% of its transportation fuel consumption by 2017, from the present 5%. Yet, despite these ambitious projects, little is known about its yield, pest and disease problems and environmental impact and so in which context it would be advisable to grow jatropha, rather than another bioenergy crop, such as Elaeis guineensis (oil palm). To some extent, ecological ranges of jatropha and oil palm overlap. In India, state governments of Orissa and Tamil Nadu are encouraging farmers to plant oil palm, given that India consumes an estimated 4.2 megatonnes per year. Similarly in Mexico, there are some large scale oil palm initiatives. This project aims to assess profitability, economic, social and environmental impacts of the production of two bioenergy crops, jatropha and oil palm. With data obtained it aims to identify the most suitable areas and conditions for sustainable and profitable yields and the extent of economic, social and environmental production risks. It aims to identify current shortfalls in land tenure systems or law and develop legislation to ensure social sustainability and equity of bioenergy projects.