Are biofuels good for African development? An analytical framework with evidence from Mozambique and Tanzania

Abstract

Many low-income countries in Africa are optimistic that producing biofuels will both reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and stimulate economic development, particularly in poorer rural areas. Conversely, skeptics view biofuels as a threat to food security in the region and as a ‘land-grabbing’ opportunity for foreign investors. As a result of this ongoing debate, national Biofuels Task Forces have been asked to evaluate both the viability of domestic biofuel production and its broader implications for economic development. To guide these complex evaluations, this article presents an analytical framework that prioritizes different aspects of a comprehensive national assessment and identifies suitable evaluation methods. The findings from recent assessments for Mozambique and Tanzania are used to illustrate the framework. While from these two countries studies found that biofuels investments could enhance development, their experiences highlight potential trade-offs, especially at the macroeconomic and environmental levels, where further research is needed.

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations via its Bioenergy and Food Security project.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.