Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
10.3 WHAT SCOPE FOR REDUCING CONFLICTS AND
ENHANCING COOPERATION ON JATROPHA-RELATED
PROJECTS?
Three key lessons were learned from case study research on large scale Jatropha
projects in Ghana and Ethiopia: local consultation about potential biofuel projects
is imperative, land alienation and decreases in the size of household landholdings
must be minimised or mitigated, and Jatropha must have positive household-level
socio-economic impacts (Timko et al. 2013). These three lessons form the basis of the
analytical framework for assessing the impacts of Jatropha on local livelihoods that
has been presented in this chapter. An extensive literature search helped to identify and
refine the indicators listed in the framework (Table 10.1).
It is imperative that Jatropha projects contribute positively to local livelihoods in
light of the projected expansion of Jatropha cultivation across the tropics and the
conflicts that have arisen from some Jatropha initiatives. Conflicts have arisen in
some instances where the crop has been falsely promoted using a number of dubious
claims. According to these claims, Jatropha will enhance socio-economic develop-
ment while reclaiming marginal and degraded lands; is drought tolerant; is a high
yielding crop; grows well under saline conditions; and does not compete with food
production. Conflicts have also arisen when communities have not benefited from Jat-
ropha production, and when they have been actively excluded from using land and its
resources.
There is ample scope for reducing conflicts and engendering cooperation around
Jatropha-related projects in ways that enhance livelihood strategies in rural house-
holds in developing countries. This can be attained by, for example, ensuring that
by-products obtained from Jatropha are used locally for development, by ensuring
that the biofuel does not threaten local food security by avoiding negative impacts
on the production of fodder for livestock and intercropping Jatropha with food crops
wherever possible, by minimizing health risks associated with the cultivation and pro-
duction of Jatropha, and by meeting the Jatropha-related knowledge and information
needs of local farmers. The potential for Jatropha as a local energy source in Africa is
enormous, yet there is at present a knowledge gap about how effectively Jatropha can
actually meet local energy needs. A good starting point would be to guaranteeing that
the various technology requirements for Jatropha cultivation, production and usage
are met in ways that benefit livelihoods. This would include local provisioning of fer-
tilisers and irrigation for the cultivation of the plant, presses for producing the oils,
and modified engines, stoves and lamps for using the oil.
The potential livelihood benefits of Jatropha are apparent and can be enhanced
provided that women can capitalise on the benefits of Jatropha systems, processes
emerge to resolve conflicts and enhance participation around Jatropha initiatives, and
decentralised approaches enhance local benefits from Jatropha systems. Likewise, Jat-
ropha initiatives can contribute positively to building local financial capital if they
guarantee local people benefit economically from Jatropha, and local institutions are
developed to enable the financing of local Jatropha initiatives. Finally, Jatropha can
help maintain natural resources if the impacts of the crop on both water resources and
marginal and forest land is minimised, and traditional access to land for local people
is maintained.
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