Biofuel Production and its Impacts on Local Livelihoods in Tanzania

The paper examines the early stages of biofuel production in Tanzania, specifically in Rufiji and Bagamoyo, highlighting significant failures in land acquisition and governance. It finds that discrepancies between national policy and local implementation led to conflicts of interest, inadequate compensation for farmers, and unfulfilled community benefit promises. The study argues that the Tanzanian government's drive for foreign investment has outpaced its capacity to protect citizen rights, creating vulnerabilities that can be exploited by resource-rich investors.

• Land acquisition for biofuel companies in Tanzania has been plagued by problems regarding land-use planning, the negotiation and enforcement of agreements, and the provision of legal protection, with formal conflict resolution channels proving inadequate.
• Despite national legislation requiring land acquisition through the Tanzanian Investment Center (TIC), some private companies bypassed this by negotiating directly with village leaders and funding land-use planning, which created conflicts of interest and reduced legal protections for investors.
• Compensation for farmers whose land was transferred via the TIC was based on outdated 1999 standards and offered on a non-negotiable "take-it or leave-it" basis, failing to account for land value increases or individual farm improvements.
• Biofuel investors frequently failed to deliver promised community benefits—such as schools, clinics, and infrastructure—and often relied on verbal agreements that were not honored.
• There is a significant gap between national land-use planning policies and their implementation on the ground; for example, by the end of 2011, only 34 of 93 villages in Bagamoyo had a land-use plan.
• The national government's push for foreign investment has exceeded the capacity of local communities and government institutions to implement necessary safeguards, leaving villagers vulnerable to exploitation due to asymmetries in financial and technical resources.
• In Bagamoyo's Razaba farm, the government's direct allocation of land to companies like SEKAB and EcoEnergy created conflicts with approximately 600 families who had settled on the land after it was abandoned by the state.
• While land issues are the primary concern, potential environmental impacts include the diversion of water from the Wami River for irrigation and the disruption of wildlife migration corridors between Saadani National Park and Selous Game Reserve.

APA

Beyene, A., Mung’ong’o, C. G., Atteridge, A., & Larsen, R. K. (2013). Biofuel Production and its Impacts on Local Livelihoods in Tanzania. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WorkingPaper-Larsen-BiofuelProductionAndItsImpactsOnLocalLivelihoodsInTanzania-2013.pdf

Chicago

Beyene, Atakilte, Claude Gasper Mung’ong’o, Aaron Atteridge, and Rasmus Kløcker Larsen. Biofuel Production and its Impacts on Local Livelihoods in Tanzania. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2013. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WorkingPaper-Larsen-BiofuelProductionAndItsImpactsOnLocalLivelihoodsInTanzania-2013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Beyene |first1=Atakilte |last2=Mung’ong’o |first2=Claude Gasper |last3=Atteridge |first3=Aaron |last4=Larsen |first4=Rasmus Kløcker |title=Biofuel Production and its Impacts on Local Livelihoods in Tanzania |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=June 2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WorkingPaper-Larsen-BiofuelProductionAndItsImpactsOnLocalLivelihoodsInTanzania-2013.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{beyene2013biofuel, author = {Beyene, Atakilte and Mung’ong’o, Claude Gasper and Atteridge, Aaron and Larsen, Rasmus Kløcker}, title = {{Biofuel Production and its Impacts on Local Livelihoods in Tanzania}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, month = jun, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WorkingPaper-Larsen-BiofuelProductionAndItsImpactsOnLocalLivelihoodsInTanzania-2013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }