Biofuels in Sub-Saharan Africa: Drivers, Impacts and Priority Policy Areas

The document examines the drivers and impacts of biofuel expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically focusing on jatropha- and sugarcane-based fuels. It argues that while biofuels are driven by goals of energy security and economic development, they are linked to significant trade-offs including GHG emissions, deforestation, and food insecurity. The author concludes that the lack of comprehensive understanding of these trade-offs, combined with institutional and market failures, hinders the sustainability of biofuel investments in the region.

• Biofuel expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa is driven by policy goals concerning economic development, poverty alleviation, and energy security, but is associated with various negative environmental and socioeconomic consequences, including biodiversity loss, deforestation, GHG emissions, and threats to food security and land access.
• The actual impact of biofuels varies based on the specific feedstock used, the local socio-economic and environmental context, and the applicable policy instruments; while significant trade-offs exist, careful planning can mitigate some negative effects.
• The primary obstacles to the sustainability and viability of biofuel investments in Africa are market, institutional, and agronomic failures, alongside a fragmented understanding of the associated trade-offs.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2015). Biofuels in Sub-Saharan Africa: Drivers, Impacts and Priority Policy Areas. https://www.sei.org/publications/biofuels-in-sub-saharan-africa-drivers-impacts-and-priority-policy-areas/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Biofuels in Sub-Saharan Africa: Drivers, Impacts and Priority Policy Areas. 2015. https://www.sei.org/publications/biofuels-in-sub-saharan-africa-drivers-impacts-and-priority-policy-areas/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Biofuels in Sub-Saharan Africa: Drivers, Impacts and Priority Policy Areas |date=6 March 2015 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/biofuels-in-sub-saharan-africa-drivers-impacts-and-priority-policy-areas/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2015biofuels, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Biofuels in Sub-Saharan Africa: Drivers, Impacts and Priority Policy Areas}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/biofuels-in-sub-saharan-africa-drivers-impacts-and-priority-policy-areas/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }