Biofuels in Zambia: Panacea or Problem?

This research paper examines the failure of the biofuels sector in Zambia, where government goals of poverty reduction and energy security were undermined by a lack of policy safeguards, poor infrastructure, and the inability of small-scale farmers to access international markets.

• The Zambian government promoted agricultural-based biofuels to achieve agricultural reform, poverty alleviation, and improved energy security by reducing oil imports. To support this, the government created farming blocks to encourage employment schemes and outgrower arrangements, specifically promoting non-food crops like jatropha curcas to avoid threatening food security.
• The biofuels strategy in Zambia faced significant risks to food security because small-scale farmers were tempted to switch from food crops to cash crops like jatropha due to the higher value of export markets. This was exacerbated by a rapid market opening that lacked policy safeguards to prevent crop-switching.
• Zambian farmers struggled to access the European market due to strict EU trade restrictions and high standards. This difficulty was compounded by the fact that farmers operated individually in rural areas without the support of cooperatives or unions.
• Many biofuel projects in Zambia failed, leading investors to abandon land and contracts. Contributing factors included the 2008–2009 economic downturn, insufficient rural infrastructure, high initial capital costs, land conflicts, and a lack of technical expertise which resulted in poor crop yields.
• Zambia's National Energy Policy focuses on biofuels for the transport industry but ignores household use, where the poor rely on cheap charcoal because bioethanol is too expensive. Additionally, a lack of foreign exchange controls allows investors to repatriate all capital, while high entry costs prevent local small-to-medium enterprises from entering the market.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2013). Biofuels in Zambia: Panacea or Problem? https://saiia.org.za/research/biofuels-in-zambia-panacea-or-problem/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Biofuels in Zambia: Panacea or Problem? 2013. https://saiia.org.za/research/biofuels-in-zambia-panacea-or-problem/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Biofuels in Zambia: Panacea or Problem? |date=30 May 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/biofuels-in-zambia-panacea-or-problem/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2013biofuels, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Biofuels in Zambia: Panacea or Problem?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/biofuels-in-zambia-panacea-or-problem/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }