Prospects for Jatropha biofuels in Tanzania: An analysis with Strategic Niche Management

Eijck, J.A.J. van; Romijn, HA Henny

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2007.09.016

Cited by 111 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Yet the potential livelihood benefits from smallholder production, including the possibility of land remaining in the hands of customary rights holders and the increased freedom of choice that comes with it, suggest that mechanisms to deliver yield-enhancing services to smallholders (high-quality extension services, low-risk forms of credit, market support) should be explored. There is evidence to suggest that efforts to screen and coordinate the actions of companies to avoid side-buying and encouraging codes of conduct for investors and farmers can help ratchet up services to farmers and thus yields (ECI Africa Consulting 2006, Tschirley andKabwe 2007). Monitoring of environment impacts, particularly carbon balances, is also essential, to ensure the purported climate mitigation benefits of biofuels actually materialize, and therefore to minimize the risk of markets drying up.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Local Social and Environmental Impacts of Smallholder-Based Biofuel Investments in Zambia

German¹,

Schoneveld²,

Gumbo³

2011

E&S

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. High oil prices, recent commitments by industrialized countries to enhance the use of renewable energy, and efforts by developing countries to stimulate foreign investment as a pathway to development have fueled high levels of interest in the biofuel sector throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. Zambia is no exception. A large, land-locked country with high pump prices and vast tracts of land considered by many to be "degraded" or "underutilized," investor interest in the sector has remained high despite uncertainties associated with unproven feedstocks and market fluctuations. While investment in multiple feedstock and production models may be observed, one of the primary investments has been in jatropha outgrower schemes in which small-scale farmers grow feedstock on contract with domestic and foreign investors. We assess the history and evolution of the largest such scheme in Zambia, as well as the social and environmental impacts in two districts with large numbers of outgrowers. Findings suggest that, although such a production model may hold promise for enhancing rural livelihood benefits from the emerging biofuel sector, to date, small-scale farmers have borne the brunt of the risk and uncertainty that are the trademarks of this emerging industry. We conclude with a discussion of options to minimize forest conversion and protect farmers against high-risk investments, while harnessing the potential of this business model for enhancing rural livelihoods in Zambia and elsewhere.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Local Social and Environmental Impacts of Smallholder-Based Biofuel Investments in Zambia

German¹,

Schoneveld²,

Gumbo³

2011

E&S

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…During seed processing to extract the oil, the seedcake is left behind. There are various methods of extraction such as mechanical pressing (Eijck and Romijn, 2008), aqueous oil extraction (Shah et al, 2005), the TPP method (Shah et al, 2004), and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (Yan et al, 2005). Mechanical pressing is the conventional oil extraction method and is applied on a small scale and in rural areas.…”

Section: J Curcas Oil Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, huge quantities of seeds would be required to obtain the desired volumes of oil. For example, 3 kg of seeds are needed to obtain 1 L of oil using the Sayari oil expeller of German design (Eijck and Romijn, 2008).The theoretical maximum amount of oil in Jatropha seed is 44% (44 g oil per 100 g kernels) (Shah et al, 2005).…”

Section: J Curcas Oil Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mechanical pressing is the conventional oil extraction method and is applied on a small scale and in rural areas. For example, oil is extracted by using a manual ram press and electric screw press in Tanzania (Eijck and Romijn, 2008). The main drawback of mechanical pressing is that only a small amount of oil can be extracted from the seeds.…”

Section: J Curcas Oil Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Biodiesel production fromJatropha curcas: a critical review

Abdulla

Chan

Ravindra

2010

Critical Reviews in Biotechnology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The fuel crisis and environmental concerns, mainly due to global warming, have led researchers to consider the importance of biofuels such as biodiesel. Vegetable oils, which are too viscous to be used directly in engines, are converted into their corresponding methyl or ethyl esters by a process called transesterification. With the recent debates on "food versus fuel," non-edible oils, such as Jatropha curcas, are emerging as one of the main contenders for biodiesel production. Much research is still needed to explore and realize the full potential of a green fuel from J. curcas. Upcoming projects and plantations of Jatropha in countries such as India, Malaysia, and Indonesia suggest a promising future for this plant as a potential biodiesel feedstock. Many of the drawbacks associated with chemical catalysts can be overcome by using lipases for enzymatic transesterification. The high cost of lipases can be overcome, to a certain extent, by immobilization techniques. This article reviews the importance of the J. curcas plant and describes existing research conducted on Jatropha biodiesel production. The article highlights areas where further research is required and relevance of designing an immobilized lipase for biodiesel production is discussed.

show abstract

“…In their study of a developing biofuels sector based on Jatropha in Tanzania, van Eijck and Romijn (2008) recommend the development of policies to enhance the participation and capabilities of local communities in rural energy projects to ensure that sufficient attention is paid to their needs and preferences. Their study presents a cautionary tale for 2G that warns against a biofuels sector dominated by big commercial players interested in consolidating smaller holdings into larger plantations that will direct energy and financial revenues away from local communities.…”

Section: The Relevance For 2g Biofuels Of Sustainability Challenges Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons from first generation biofuels and implications for the sustainability appraisal of second generation biofuels

2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

AimsThe emergence of second generation (2G) biofuels is widely seen as a sustainable response to the increasing controversy surrounding the first generation (1G). Yet, sustainability credentials of 2G biofuels are also being questioned. Drawing on work in Science and Technology Studies, we argue that controversies help focus attention on key, often value-related questions that need to be posed to address broader societal concerns. This paper examines lessons drawn from the 1G controversy to assess implications for the sustainability appraisal of 2G biofuels.ScopeWe present an overview of key 1G sustainability challenges, assess their relevance for 2G, and highlight the challenges for policy in managing the transition. We address limitations of existing sustainability assessments by exploring where challenges might emerge across the whole system of bioenergy and the wider context of the social system in which bioenergy research and policy are done.ConclusionsKey lessons arising from 1G are potentially relevant to the sustainability appraisal of 2G biofuels depending on the particular circumstances or conditions under which 2G is introduced. We conclude that sustainability challenges commonly categorised as either economic, environmental or social are, in reality, more complexly interconnected (so that an artificial separation of these categories is problematic).

show abstract

Prospects for Jatropha biofuels in Tanzania: An analysis with Strategic Niche Management

Cited by 111 publications

References 9 publications

The Local Social and Environmental Impacts of Smallholder-Based Biofuel Investments in Zambia

The Local Social and Environmental Impacts of Smallholder-Based Biofuel Investments in Zambia

Biodiesel production fromJatropha curcas: a critical review

Lessons from first generation biofuels and implications for the sustainability appraisal of second generation biofuels

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About