Bioenergy in Africa - Opportunities and Risks of Jatropha and Related Crops

农产品出口是许多发展中国家增长和就业的重要来源，对减贫和农村发展作出了重要贡献。事实上，农业是大多数撒哈拉以南非洲国家具有比较优势的主要领域，这些国家渴望看到其农产品出口市场的扩大。全球对生物燃料需求的增加可能意味着相关食品的增加；这可能有利于一些农业出口国，但也可能不利于粮食净进口国。发展中国家的生物燃料发展最初受到了乐观的态度，但是到2008年第一季度末却遭到了怀疑，有人呼吁重新考虑促进生物燃料生产的战略。人们普遍认识到，为满足北美和欧盟设定的目标而生产生物燃料，导致了国际市场上主食价格的飙升（ODI 2008a; 2008b; Mitchell 2008; Rosegrant 2008）。尽管公众认为生物燃料生产与粮食作物竞争，但区分作物、国家和粮食生产系统是很重要的。此外，需要考虑到家庭通常既种植粮食又种植生物燃料，而生物燃料生产可以刺激农业生产力。除了减少对石油进口的依赖外，生物燃料还具有增加出口收入、创造新的就业机会和发展发展中国家工业的潜力。该研究项目和联合体的主要目标是：提供一个增强的信息和知识基础，发展中国家决策者、发展伙伴和政府可以在此基础上设计和实施可持续的和有利于穷人的生物能源发展战略和政策。工作方案将包括四个部分：工作方案1：分析利用麻疯树生产生物能源的技术方面和可行性；工作方案2：分析生物能源生产的社会经济和环境影响；工作方案3：分析全球贸易和生物能源生产政策；和工作方案4：在一个多目标决策支助系统中对欧空局区域的生物能源潜力进行区域评估，以拟订与生物能源生产有关的发展战略和确定政策。ODI将协调和领导工作计划3。其主要目标是向欧空局区域内和更广泛范围内的发展中国家决策者通报生物燃料贸易在国际、区域和国家市场上的现有机会和限制。由于担心生物燃料的温室气体（GHG）途径（由于担心土地被清除以生产生物燃料），欧盟采用了可持续性标准；生物质能“可持续发展计划”的全部要求将在2010年12月31日前公布。假设未来发展中国家既能遵守可持续性标准，又能根据可持续性标准进行审核，核证可能会鼓励这些国家的出口。但其他生产商可能会发现，为限制较少、更容易进入的国内或区域市场生产更为可取（无论是在遵守生物燃料认证的成本方面，还是在距离方面的地理位置方面）。通过与可持续生物燃料圆桌会议和南方研究机构的合作，预计工作计划3不仅将更好地向欧空局政府通报生物燃料贸易的机会和局限性，而且还将在标准和认证问题上吸取新的思路；为了强调加强经认证的生物燃料产品对发展的影响的方法，并减少认证排除发展中国家生产者的可能性。

Agricultural exports are a crucial source of growth and employment in many developing countries, and make an important contribution to poverty reduction and rural development. Indeed, agriculture is the main area of comparative advantage for most sub-Saharan African countries, keen to see an expansion in the market for their agricultural exports. Increased demand for biofuels globally may mean an increase in related foodstuffs; this may benefit some agricultural exporters, but it could also disadvantage net food importers. Biofuels development in the South was initially met with optimism, but by the end of the first quarter of 2008 had met scepticism, with calls for a rethink on strategies to promote biofuels production. It is generally recognised that the production of biofuels to meet targets set in North America and the EU contributed to the price spike in prices of staple foods on international markets (ODI 2008a; 2008b; Mitchell 2008; Rosegrant 2008). Despite the public perception of biofuels production as competing with food crops, it is important to distinguish between crops, countries and food production systems. Moreover, it needs to be considered that households typically grow both, food and biofuels, and that biofuel production could provide a stimulus to agricultural productivity. Biofuels have the potential to raise export revenues, create new jobs and to develop industries in developing countries, in addition to reduce dependency on oil imports. The main objectives of the research project and consortium are to: provide an enhanced information and knowledge basis upon which sustainable and pro-poor bioenergy development strategies and policies can be designed and implemented by developing country policy makers, development partners and governments. The program of works will comprise of four components: Work Program 1: Analysis of technical aspects and feasibility of bioenergy production with Jatropha; Work Program 2: Analysis of socio-economic and environmental impacts of bioenergy production; Work Program 3: Analysis of global trade and policies on bioenergy production; and Work Program 4: Regional assessment of bioenergy potentials in the ESA region in a multi-objective decision-support system for the elaboration of development strategies and the definition of policies in relation to the production of bioenergy. ODI will coordinate and lead Work Program 3. The main objectives of which are to inform developing country policy makers within the ESA region and more widely, as to the available opportunities and limitations of biofuel trade in international, regional and national markets. As a result of concerns over the Green House Gas (GHG) pathways of biofuels (due to fears of land being cleared to produce biofuels), the EU adopted sustainability criteria; the full requirements of a 'sustainability scheme' for biomass energy will be made available by 31 December, 2010. Assuming, in the future, developing countries are both able to adhere and audit against sustainability criterion, certification may encourage exports from these countries. But other producers may find it preferable to produce for domestic or regional markets that are less restrictive and more accessible (both in terms of the cost of compliance of biofuels certification and geographical location in terms of distance). By working with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuel and Southern-based research institutes it is expected that Work Program 3 will not only better inform ESA governments as to the opportunities and limigtations of biofuesl trade, but will also draw on new thinking on the issue of standards and certification; in order to highlight ways to enhance the developmental impact of certified biofuel products, and reduce the potential of certification to exclude developing country producers.