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

This research paper synthesizes knowledge on the impacts of biofuel expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the trade-offs between development goals and environmental or socioeconomic risks, and identifies policy and knowledge gaps as primary barriers to sustainability.

• Biofuel expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly involving sugarcane and jatropha, is driven by goals of economic development, poverty alleviation, and energy security, but is associated with various negative impacts including deforestation, biodiversity loss, GHG emissions, and threats to food security and land access.
• The impacts of biofuels are variable and depend on the specific feedstock used, the socio-economic and environmental context of production, and the applicable policy instruments; while significant trade-offs exist, careful planning can mitigate some negative effects.
• The sustainability and viability of biofuel investments in Africa are currently hindered by market, institutional, and agronomic failures, as well as a fragmented understanding of trade-offs and a lack of regulatory policies.

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} }