Lentis/Biofuels Vs. Food in Developing Countries

Introduction:

With increasing population and urbanization in the 21st century, universal energy accessibility has become one of the greatest challenges in meeting sustainable development goals (O'Malley & Searle, 2021). One alternative approach that developing economies are implementing to meet sustainability goals is the development of crops for biofuels. Biofuels are energy sources made from recently grown biomass (plant or animal matter), and serve as an alternative to fossil fuels. Therefore, biofuels have received considerable attention due to concerns over fluctuating high energy prices, volatility of oil supply, depletion of finite fossil fuel reserves, emission of dangerous gasses, terrestrial and aquatic pollution, climate change, and irreparable environmental degradation (Braun, 2007).

Biofuels serve as a renewable energy source because they are continually replenished, environmentally friendly, have feedstock availability, and have the ability to be sold in solid, liquid, and gaseous states (Dufey, 2006). There are two main types of biofuels: bioethanol and biodiesel. The production of bioethanol is made from sugarcane, corn, and wheat. Brazil (using sugarcane) and the USA (using mostly corn and some soya) are the main producers, accounting for 70% of the global supply. Biodiesel is derived from oil or tree-seeds such as rapeseed, sunflower, soya, palm, and coconut.

Due to the many types of crops that can be turned into fuels, the proliferation of biofuels triggers a cascade of impacts on food production, agriculture, and energy systems. As a result, competition within, as well as new, markets can be created. A dilemma arises as whether to divert farmlands to produce biofuels, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and improving developing countries energy security while increasing food prices, or sustaining food production to humans with cheaper prices and high greenhouse gas emissions.

The Argument:

Pro-Biofuels:

Examining the dilemma presented, for developing countries, the production of biofuels could be a net benefit. Along with economic gain due to the introduction of a new market, modern biofuel related agriculture methods could utilize “marginal” land that is not suitable for food production to plant crops solely cultivated for biofuel production (von Braun, 2006). In addition to national economy boosts, these benefits extend to increased economic prosperity in local communities by providing employment opportunities and a higher profit gain for farmers due to high demand for biofuels from wealthy countries. Lastly, biofuel energy sources are more sustainable than current nonrenewable energy sources, like fossil fuels, due to their role in the carbon cycle (Jeswani, 2020). Therefore, biofuels can act as an important player in global transitions to clean energy sources.

Anti-Biofuels:

Despite the possible benefits, biofuel expansion in developing countries poses numerous challenges. A central concern is how the utilization of biofuel technologies could exploit the land and environment in the nearby ecosystem, harming local people's ability to have successful food crops (D. Barnabè, 2013). There is also a concern of “wealth hoarding”. Farmers and other individuals who have control over the crops and the profits from biofuel ventures may accumulate wealth, creating a socioeconomic gap between those involved and other local peoples. (Von, 2006).

One of the strongest argument against the expansion of biofuel technologies in developing countries is coined as the “Food vs. Fuel” debate. Critics argue that the escalation of biofuel usage in developing countries leads to higher food prices and facilitates food insecurity in surrounding communities. There is research done that supports a correlation of higher food prices for biofuel related crops and biofuel technology usage (Anderson, 2010). According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, food crops such as cassava, oil seeds and maize, would see price increases by the 2020’s as biofuel growth increases in developing nations (Von, 2006). Adversaries of biofuels reason that this leads to a trade-off between food and fuel, increasing food insecurities for poorer communities who cannot adapt to higher prices of food.

Participants

Farmers

As mentioned in the introduction of the biofuels vs. food debate, farmers play an impactful role in biofuel production. With increasing demand for agriculture products created by biofuel production, farmers will be able to enter into a new market where potential for job growth and economic gain is possible. In addition, there are many potential avenues for farmers to adjust their crops and therefore many routes for which farmers can participate. For example, many developing countries already grow or could grow energy crops such as corn, soybeans, rapeseed, and palm oil (de Fraiture et al., 2008).

Although the production of biofuels presents a large potential benefit, it also poses challenges for the poor farmers in developing countries. For example, farm lands may have to be redesigned to fuel crops instead of food, which could harm both the local peoples and the farmers as it could decrease their access to food, or increase food prices in already impoverished regions (de Fraiture et al., 2008). Additionally, associated deforestation can result in a loss of biodiversity and excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, therefore degrading the land and water resources that the farmers depend on (de Fraiture et al., 2008). An example of this is seen in Tanzania and Brazil, where diverting of farm crops have affected the income and land ownership of local farmers (Tenenbaum, 2008).

Locals

Influence of biofuel production can be beneficial to local peoples due to the potential for both local and national economies to flourish with the introduction of a new market. However, concern arises when large-scale biofuel production is instituted for a few reasons. Most relevant, land use for fuel rather than food can harm local peoples food security due to lack of edible crops (von Braun, 2007). This stressor can affect the delicate economics of food prices, impacting impoverished citizens. Additionally, large-scale production to try to supply a global market also introduces an issue of neo-colonialism. Rich countries, corporations, and outside investors may be incentivized into going into a region with either fertile or an abundance of land, then entering into joint-venture agreements with local governments or farmers that ultimately results in a transfer of land that negatively impacts the community (Pisces, 2009). As a result, a feedback loop can be created such that biofuel infrastructure harms access to food, impacts price of food, and displaces land so that they are unable to sustain continued food growth.

Leaders

Due to the socio-technical nature of this issue, both local and global policy will play a key role in any conclusions regarding this debate (von Braun, 2007). So, attention should be paid as to how are leaders are handling this issue, particularly local governments. As established, introducing the biofuel industry to the country would have a lot of economic benefits as they can supply biofuels to rich countries while potentially boosting their own energy security. Though, this is under the condition that infrastructure already exists in the region such that they are able to process their own biofuel crops into useable fuel, or that there is ability to develop this infrastructure.

Understanding of how this issue is being dealt with can already seen. And, biofuels are seeing a lot of support from governmental entities. In fact, biofuels are so popular that a lot of countries, such as Indonesia and Brazil, have already set in place incentives and other strategies to encourage production of biofuels (Schoneveld et al., 2010). However, as already established, there are a plethora of consequences at the risk of the citizens' health and livelihood, creating problems that leaders will then have to solve.

Conclusions

The debate of "Fuels vs Food" is complex and there are many arguments and actors influencing the topic. While the goal of decreasing carbon emissions is important, and associated economic boosts are exciting, developing countries that seek to export biofuels may be vulnerable to bad actors when entering into the global market. Moreover, the issue of food security and increasing food prices cannot be blamed solely on biofuel production, and current insufficient objective data leads to interesting geo-political discussions. So, both local and global policymakers should be monitored for how they go about increasing biofuel production and trade, and other participants should be monitored to ensure livelihoods are maintained. To continue this evaluation, it would be beneficial to examine case-studies as the biofuel vs. food atmosphere is very different on a country-by-country basis due to legislation, types of crops grown, and existing infrastructure.

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