• Energy Research

AbstractThe two datasets outlined in this paper contain information related to (a) the local impacts of biofuel feedstock production, and (b) the factors that influence the adoption and/or sustained use of ethanol stoves in southern Africa. The first dataset was generated through extensive household surveys around four operational jatropha and sugarcane production sites in Malawi, Mozambique, and Swaziland. This project aimed to examine the local impacts of the most prominent modes of existing or intended biofuel feedstock production in southern Africa. The resulting dataset contains information about impacts on rural livelihoods, ecosystem services, food security and poverty alleviation. The second dataset is the outcome of research into factors that influence the adoption and sustained use of ethanol stoves. This dataset was collected through a household survey in Maputo city where the only large-scale ethanol stove dissemination programme in Africa has been implemented.

This paper analyses national, regional and international biofuels policies and strategies to assess whether these policies promote or undermine the development of biofuels sector in Africa. Despite having a huge comparative advantage in land, labour and good climatic conditions favourable for the growing of energy crops, few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have included biofuels strategies in their energy or national development policies. Further results show that while developed countries commit huge financial resources for research, technology development and the provision of tax-incentives to both producers and consumers, there is little government support for promoting biofuels in Africa. Although the consequences of biofuels on food supply remain uncertain, the mandatory blending of biofuels with fossil fuels by industrialized countries will create demand for land in Africa for the growing of energy crops for biofuels. This paper urgently calls upon national governments in Sub-Saharan Africa to develop appropriate strategies and regulatory frameworks to harness the potential economic opportunities from biofuels sector development, while protecting the environment and rural communities from the adverse effects of land alienation from the mainstream agriculture towards the growing of energy crops for biofuels at the expense of traditional food crops.

Abstract There is a long-term concern that the cultivation of biofuel feedstocks could have negative impacts on communities involved in, or adjacent to, such projects. In southern Africa, the acquisition and allocation of large blocks of land for biofuel feedstock production has been especially contentious. The present study investigates the local multi-dimensional poverty effects of growing biofuel crops using the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative's Multidimensional Poverty Index. It investigates different modes of production (large-scale vs. smallholder-based) and different feedstocks (sugarcane vs. jatropha) in four study sites in Malawi, Swaziland and Mozambique. In the sugarcane growing areas, those who participated in its value chain as farmers or workers had lower poverty than those who were not involved. However, for jatropha growing areas, there were no clearly defined differences between the controls and the jatropha farmers in Mangochi, while in Mozambique the plantation workers had slightly lower poverty than the control groups. Although it was not possible to make direct comparisons between all projects, sugarcane areas seem to be better off than non-sugarcane areas. In all projects there was generally high incidence of deprivations in indicators related to living standards, particularly, access to electricity and cooking fuel.

National governments and other key stakeholders in developing countries are grappling with how to reduce household air pollution (HAP) resulting from cooking with solid fuels using traditional cooking technologies. Recent studies have shown that improved cookstoves may offer reductions in fuel use and harmful emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), yet there is little quantitative evidence collected in a "real-world" setting showing how improved stoves perform directly compared to traditional cooking technologies. Our simulated kitchen study takes place in a semi-controlled, "real-world" setting in Malawi and was designed to quantify the fuel efficiency improvements and air pollutant concentration reductions capabilities of two improved stoves currently marketed in the country. In this study, we perform a Water Boiling Test (WBT) to compare the air pollutant concentrations (CO and PM2.5) and fuel efficiency of the traditional three-stone fire stove and two improved cookstoves: a locally produced clay stove known as the Chitetezo Mbaula (CM) and a Philips gasifying stove. We find that the Chitetezo Mbaula uses 53% of the fuel used by the traditional three-stone fire, and produces 59% of CO, and 50% of PM2.5 of the three-stone fire. The Philips gasifying stove uses 31% of the fuel, and produces 38% of CO, and 22% of PM2.5 of the traditional three-stone fire. We consider the potential for the wide-scale adoption of each of these technologies given their relative costs and conclude that lower-cost, intermediate quality cookstoves are an important and realistic first step toward reducing household air pollution.

Abstract Biofuels have been promoted as a renewable energy option in many countries, but have also faced extensive scrutiny over their sustainability. Food security is perhaps the most debated sustainability impact of biofuels, especially in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa that experience high rates of malnutrition and have been a major destination for biofuel-related investments. This study assesses the local food security impacts of engagement in biofuel crop production using a consistent protocol between multiple crops and sites. We use standardized metrics of food security related to dietary diversity and perceptions of hunger, and focus on feedstock smallholders and plantation workers in four operational projects: a large-scale jatropha plantation (Mozambique), a smallholder-based jatropha project (Malawi) and two hybrid sugarcane projects (Malawi, Eswatini). Collectively these reflect the main feedstocks, modes of production and land use transitions related to biofuel projects in Sub-Sahara Africa. Inverse Probability Weighting analysis indicates that involvement in sugarcane production improved household food security for plantation workers and feedstock smallholders. Conversely, involvement in jatropha production does not have a statistically significant positive effect on household food security for both workers and smallholders. Regression models indicate that the factors driving food security indicator levels vary between study sites. Wealth indicators influence food security indicators in several sites, but the absolute level of income plays a smaller role, while income stability/regularity, access to credit and stable markets for selling sugarcane be important drivers as indicated by the strong effect of proxy variables on indicators.

Abstract The Granger-causality (GC) and error correction (ECM) techniques were applied on 1970–1999 data for Malawi to examine cointegration and causality between electricity consumption (kWh) and, respectively, overall GDP, agricultural-GDP (AGDP) and non-agricultural-GDP (NGDP). Cointegration was established between kWh and, respectively, GDP and NGDP, but not with AGDP. The GC results detect bi-directional causality between kWh and GDP suggesting that kWh and GDP are jointly determined, but one-way causality running from NGDP to kWh. The ECM results detect causality running one-way from GDP (also from NGDP) to kWh suggesting that a permanent rise in GDP may cause a permanent growth in electricity consumption.

Despite global progress towards improving energy access, major challenges remain for closing the energy access gap between ultra-poor and better off households, and for reaching ultra-poor and last mile populations. Using data from Malawi, we explore the energy access gap between ultra-poor (N = 900) and better-off households (N = 2666) from the same communities. Compared to better-off households, ultra-poor households had significantly increased odds of having no lighting (OR = 1.58), and significantly reduced odds of having improved lighting (OR = 0.89), owning an improved firewood cookstove (OR = 0.90), and owning a charcoal stove (OR = 0.86). A sub-set of ultra-poor households in our sample received unconditional social cash transfer program (SCTP) payments from the Government of Malawi. Recipients of SCTP payments had significantly reduced odds of having no source of lighting in the household (OR = 0.21) and were more than three times more likely to own an improved cookstove (OR = 3.64) compared to ultra-poor households that have not received payments. The absolute value of per capita expenditures on energy related goods and services is statistically significantly higher for ultra-poor households that receive social cash transfers. We conclude that ultra-poor households experience greater depth of energy poverty compared to better-off households in the same communities. We also find that unconditional social cash transfer payments contribute to improved energy access for the ultra-poor, suggesting that they are a potentially important strategy for catalyzing energy transitions among the ultra-poor.