Stakes and Context
Biofuels may represent a key energy resource which may help Africa meet the current challenges: improve populations’ access to energy; enhance energy independence, and ensure the sustainability of its production systems. The implementation of biofuel projects remains a key challenge for the concerned countries. The stakes of the contest for land and food security, increased by land degradation relating to global warming, are particularly constraining factors in various Sub Saharan African countries. However, these countries are on one hand wooed to implement more or less large-scale biofuel programs, and on the other hand, are trying to increase their energy autonomy through promoting their own domestic resources.
Thus, it is quite important to share implementation solutions in order to ensure the relevance of biofuel policies according to situations and target markets. Considering regional similarities as well as the size of national markets, discussions should be on a regional or supra-national scale to contribute in coordinating national strategies in conformity with the goals in ECOWAS and WAEMU White Paper.
The previous Biofuel International Conferences were organized within this framework in November 2007 and 2009 in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). About 300 distinguished individuals, experts, decision-makers, NGO representatives, etc, from all continents, gathered in Ouagadougou, under the aegis of Burkina Faso government and regional organizations – ECOWAS and WAEMU. The key purpose was in fact to provide ECOWAS member states and decision-makers in the region with an accurate assessment of biofuel prospects in West Africa. The 2007 and 2009 Biofuel Conferences were organized by 2iE, CIRAD along with their partners, to monitor the development of biofuels in Africa. These conferences are major events to evaluate the knowledge and latest breakthroughs in this field. The theme of the Conference in November 2007 was “Stakes and Perspectives of Biofuels for Africa”. Furthermore, the presentations, the roundtables and the debates of the second Conference in 2009 focused on “Biofuels: enhancing development or increasing food insecurity?”
2007 Conference had highlighted that biofuels remain a real opportunity that Africa should take advantage of. They may represent an economic and social growth engine for African countries, through bridging particularly the gap between the rural and urban areas. But discussions emphasized that the prospects may not be developed without the implementation of an institutional and legal framework, and a regional approach for West Africa, under the aegis of ECOWAS and WAEMU. The purpose is then to share experiences and to work on standardization and certification of Africans’ projects according to specific criteria, taking into account their socio-economic constraints and the nature of their environment.
2009 Conference “Biofuels: enhancing development or increasing food insecurity?” helped assess biofuel responsibility for the rise in raw material prices and the global food crisis and discuss risks and strongholds associated with specific technical choices, though it was impossible to draw unequivocal conclusions. In addition, the Brazilian experience was analyzed with the support of various participants from this country in order to assess its appropriateness for the African context.
Considering the process initiated and the need for technical, economic, social, and environmental information on potential performances (agronomy, fuels, engines, revenues, employment, etc.), underlined by participants, all panel members, state representatives and Burkina Faso authorities particularly, laid the emphasis on the importance of regular meetings between the stakeholders for the development of biofuels in Africa . These meetings aim at gathering all stakeholders of the sector and the efforts have been appreciated to build the conference cycle in Africa in order to share information on the latest findings.
