Africa: up for grabs

The report examines the surge in land acquisitions across Africa for agrofuel production, driven largely by EU mandatory targets for renewable transport fuels. It finds that approximately 5 million hectares of land have been acquired for fuel crops, often without community consent. The document argues that these 'land grabs' threaten food security by competing with food crops for fertile land and water, while providing minimal local employment. Environmental impacts include deforestation in the Congo Basin and habitat loss in Ethiopia's Babile Elephant Sanctuary. The report concludes that agrofuels are often exported for international profit rather than providing local energy security, leaving African nations with depleted natural resources.

• An estimated 5 million hectares of land in Africa have been acquired for fuel crops, representing approximately one-third of all land sold or acquired on the continent.
• The European Union's mandatory target for 10% of road transport fuel to come from renewable sources by 2020 is a primary driver of land grabbing in Africa, creating a guaranteed market for producers.
• Agrofuel production threatens food security by competing with food crops for fertile land and water, contributing to rising food prices and hunger in countries already facing crises, such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe.
• The claim that crops like jatropha grow on 'marginal land' is often a myth; such land is frequently communal grazing or medicinal plant areas that are officially labelled marginal because they lack private titles.
• Agrofuel developments have caused significant environmental damage, including the clearing of forests in the Congo Basin and the infringement of the Babile Elephant Sanctuary in Ethiopia by a German company planting castor beans.
• Employment promises from agrofuel companies are often unfulfilled, with some estimates suggesting only one permanent job is created per 100 hectares of agrofuel planted.
• Agrofuel crops are highly water-intensive; for example, producing one litre of biodiesel from soya requires 9,100 litres of water, and one litre of bioethanol from corn or sugarcane requires 4,000 litres.
• Despite political promises of local energy security, most foreign companies produce agrofuels for the international market, risking a repeat of the exploitation seen with fossil fuels.
• Biotech companies are attempting to use the agrofuel boom as a gateway to introduce genetically modified (GM) crop varieties into the African market.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2010). Africa: up for grabs. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/24-foee-africa-report-english-africa-e-lr.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Africa: up for grabs. 2010. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/24-foee-africa-report-english-africa-e-lr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Africa: up for grabs |date=June 2010 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/24-foee-africa-report-english-africa-e-lr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2010africa, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Africa: up for grabs}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2010}, month = jun, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/24-foee-africa-report-english-africa-e-lr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }