Tanzania Has Big Biofuel Potential: FAO Study
(China Economic Net) A huge potential for producing biofuels is expected in Tanzania without hampering the cultivation of food crops, according to a new study.
Conducted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently, the study observed that the country’s land is highly suitable for cultivation of the cassava crop from which ethanol could be produced without affecting food security, the local media reported on Monday.
The cassava-based ethanol schemes, linked to out-growers, would be a viable option for biofuel development that could lead to economic growth and poverty reduction in the country, the report said.
…The report notes that biofuels and agricultural markets in Tanzania are sensitive to changes in government biofuels policies, pointing out that there is no national-level trade-off between biofuels and food production, but that there could be a trade-off between biofuels expansion and traditional export crops.
The dividends from investing in biofuels can have positive impacts on poverty reduction and growth, the analysis suggests, assuming that there are public investments to support biofuels development. READ MORE
