24 November 2011
Socioeconomic and environmental impact of jatropha biofuels in the Peruvian Amazon

A recent study analyses the environmental impact of producing biofuels from energy crop in the Peruvian jungle. The study is the result of a joint effort by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV Lationamérica), a social enterprise dedicated to fighting poverty and lack of equality in emerging markets around the world, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Martjin Veen (SNV) and José Luis Mena (WWF) point out that these energy sources “represent an option for replacing oil-based fossil fuels, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions”. One of the most striking results of the study is that producing these biofuels would also generate jobs, boosting the economic development of producers who usually live in conditions of extreme poverty. According to the report, the daily income of farm workers would exceed seven dollars.
According to the study, if a farmer could cultivate 2.8 hectares of jatropha, based on the number of working days in the cycle of each crop, the producer could generate an annual profit of $1,017.
The study focused on analysing three existing representative scenarios for biofuel production in the Peruvian Amazon: sugar cane production to produce hydrated ethanol in micro-distilleries; palm oil production for biodiesel by associations and private enterprise; and the production of white jatropha (Jatropha curcas) by recovering deforested and eroded land for farming through partnerships between private enterprise and small producers.
Socio-economic impacts were analysed for these scenarios using a methodology that allowed the authors to compare the profitability of these energy crops with the most important traditional food crops produced by farmers in these areas. This enabled them to reach conclusions on job generation and the quality of this employment compared to that generated through food crop cultivation, and in relation to the quality of jobs in biofuels production activities in other countries.
On the other hand, the Peruvian Life Cycle Network (Red Peruana Ciclo de Vida), an organization operating under the auspices of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, analysed the environmental impact of biofuels production, focusing on a life cycle assessment of biofuels produced in the Peruvian Amazon. The resulting technical information is being fed in to discussions and helping to generate technical proposals and policies on the development of biofuels in Peru and Latin America in general.

Source/Author: Renewable Energy Magazine