With the world’s rapidly dwindling oil supplies and the
threat of irreversible environmental damage, the United States allied with its
European eco-friendly counterparts, have committed to investing in cleaner, and
more renewable energy sources. Though this may sound eco-friendly, their choice
of environmentally safe projects has Africans often agreeing to
self-detrimental deals.
Reminiscent of anything we’ve seen before…?
The biofuel industry supported by wealthy investors- the auto
industry and key decision makers- is booming internationally, especially on the
continent. What has been traditionally regarded as a western induced phenomenon
has morphed into an arguably global collective to “save our planet”. Not to say
that collaborative efforts are uncalled for, but what concerns me is the irony
of the situation.
In their quest to build their economic empires, western
governments were quite selfish and exploitative in their ventures. Yet now,
that they need a helping hand, or rather a certain agenda pushed, whom better
to turn to then the iron fists of our Mugabe’s and Melesse’s? With a few
backroom deals and the assurance that their citizens won’t or shall I say
cannot react, corrupt African governments can successfully implement various
projects.
Due to limited land in many of these European nations,
African soil is becoming a hot commodity. Sun Biofuels, a UK based energy
company, currently has projects in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
In exchange for free land, they promise to invest millions in infrastructural
projects. In Tanzania for instance, the company has promised £20 million in construction projects for
22,230 acres of land. Other European companies have also been closing deals
beyond borders. The Norwegian firm Biofuels Africa has secured the rights to
the 93,860 acres and Kavango BioEnergy, a British company, plans to invest
millions of euros in northern Namibia.
Is this not traditional capitalism at its finest- Africa
supplies Europe’s demands?
And although we should not be surprised at this historic
relationship, supporting the biofuel market raises some very critical
questions. In a time of food scarcity on the continent and even fluctuating
food prices in the west, can we morally and ethically grow these edible crops
to run our cars? Should Africa have to
pay for the West’s over indulgence in fossil fuels? Even more upsetting is
level of deception that has been incorporated in securing some of these lands.
A recent Business Week article exposed Biofuel Africa’s
dirty tactics in Ghana. The company wrested away land clearing and usage rights
from a village chief who could neither read nor write. They were on their way
to securing thousands of acres when the Ghanaian Environmental Protection
Agency put a stop to the process. In Tanzania as well, many head villagers were
outraged when Sunbiofuels began their projects without even contacting village
elders.
While some of you may argue that for many of these
struggling nations these deals are beneficial and can improve the quality of
many lives, Tanzanians have already begun voicing their skepticism. Journalist
Khoti Kamanga of the University of Dar es Salaam warns against the side
effects of energy plantations. “The population Kamanga writes, is usually
uninformed, while the cultivation of energy plants usually goes hand-in-hand
with forced resettlement”
With very little or no assurance that these companies will hold up their end of the bargain, alongside suspicious methods, and not to mention the ethical dilemmas that these practices raise, I wonder to what extent this could realy help Africans. Don't get me wrong while I do realize that "going green" is the newest trend sweeping the west, and other priorities such as world hunger may not currently be as popular, I am a firm believer that some causes no matter how vintage they may seem, should just never go out of style.
