Towards a political ecology of biofuel crops

1. Towards a political ecology of biofuel crops Joy clancy Twente Centre for studies in technology and sustainable development (cstm), university of twente

2. There are different crops Biodiesel – jatropha; palm oil Bioethanol – sugarcane; maize Which crop can/is be grown linked to the ecology of soil, water, sunshine of the place (region, locality) the particular socio-economic and political characteristics of the place which influences the model of production, the actors and the discourses involved Biofuels from first generation crops Political Ecology of Biofuels

3. Political Ecology of Biofuels

4. Political ecology ‘combines the concerns of ecology and a broadly defined political economy’ (Blaikie and Brookfield 1987) Provides an analysis of human interaction with the natural environment Builds on an understanding of when people use natural resources for food, fibre and fuel – although less attention paid to other values (eco-systems services reveals) Local level environmental problems do not always originate at the local level Constructing the meta-analysis Political ecology Political Ecology of Biofuels

5. Reveals who has access and who has control over natural resources Power within societies unevenly distributed along lines of class, race, and gender – between societies How is it exercised? Through formal institutions and other mechanisms – such as discourses Political ecology Political Ecology of Biofuels

6. Macro discourses implicitly assume:priority for economicvaluesthe need to have new ‘clean’ energy supplies for national economic growthaddressing climate changesocial inclusion of rural poor Micro-level (local) discourses place a value on:household or community systems of production diverse and more plural set of values But where do these micro-level discourses get heard? Convey Values in language Biofuel discourses Political Ecology of Biofuels

7. Energy security Rural development (pro-poor) Climate change Environmental degradation (waste land) The solution to many problems – often simultaneously Biofuels: the discourses Political Ecology of Biofuels

8. Threat to food security (crime against humanity) Damage to eco-systems Transformation of rural societies from integrated small-scale production systems to agro-industries Human rights violations Land ‘grabbing’ The cause of many problems biofuels Political Ecology of Biofuels

9. Rural poor farmers are not homogeneous Inclusion isn’t always wanted & is resistedNot only financial values but modes of productionBrazil – women’s social position was undermined by switch of production mode Terms of incorporation are importantBrazil – farmers lease land for biofuels retain identity as farmers – culturally important and gives access to benefitsIndia and Africa – women enter when new production spaces are created Reasons for inclusion: status; consolidate his/her power in social relationships; access to knowledge & resources inclusion or exclusion from biofuels production chains? Discourses of the rural poor Political Ecology of Biofuels

10. Response to ‘competition with food’ – use ‘waste’ land – particularly India and parts of Africa Whose ‘waste’ land? Who defines this? Who benefits? Land not used for agricultural production (crops & animal grazing) or commercial forestry is productive Sites of biodiversity with eco-system functions (both biological and human services) Whose waste land? Discourse of ‘waste land’ Political Ecology of Biofuels

11. Advocates of biofuels use the discourses of their opponents to their advantage Waste land – response to food versus fuel Slave labour in sugar cane – improve working conditions through mechanisation – consequence is unemployment Who wins? NGOs as champions of the rural farmer? Promotors of standards Poor farmers struggle to reach the standards. CSR – tends to address health & safety not rightstends to be international companies with reputation to protect Who wins the power struggle? Contested areas Political Ecology of Biofuels

12. The villain of the piece Political Ecology of Biofuels

13. produces oil-rich seeds, is known to thrive on eroded lands, and to require only limited amounts of water, nutrients and capital inputs But………………….. what farmers are told Jatrophacurcas: Political Ecology of Biofuels

14. Yields are generally reported as lower for farmers (both under irrigated and rain-fed) than under controlled conditions To be economic requires irrigation Disillusioned small and marginal farmers who opt for exclusion In practice Jatrophacurcas: Political Ecology of Biofuels

15. How Jatropha performs in a wide variety of habitats eg where will it be invasive? Not been subject to breeding programmes eg for higher and more consistent yields but reduced gene pool Uncertain what the optimal levels of inputs are About ecology of jatropha What we don’t know Political Ecology of Biofuels

16. There is quite a literature about the political economy of sugarcane and maize (USA) Ecology seems to be missing Water use? Chemical inputs? Where is the political ecology of bioethanol? Political Ecology of Biofuels

17. US exports maize – it has kept to export volume quotas but price is rising Why are non-food deficit countries importing maize (eg Mexico, South Africa, Ghana)? Local farmers cannot compete on price but now they can – signs they are replanting An analysis that stops part way? Political economy of US maize Political Ecology of Biofuels

18. Negative publicity of 1st generation biofuels promotes 2nd and 3rd generation biofuels which undermines competitive advantage of the South Domestic markets not export markets in the South Too simplistic to assume a priori that export-oriented or commercial crops have negative ecological and social effects Technological fix for what are complex, inter-related social, economic, political and ecological problems which can’t be reduced to the level of “Tweets” Closing reflection Political Ecology of Biofuels