Tanzania Suspends Biofuels Investments
By Pete Browne
PhotoThe Associated Press A flurry of foreign investment in jatropha for use as
a biofuel feedstock has caused concern in Tanzania.

Reacting to mounting pressure from farmers and environmental groups citing
concerns over food shortages, the Tanzanian government has reportedly suspended
all biofuel investments in the country and halted land allocations for biofuel
development.

“The government was asleep,” Esther Mfugale, the coordinator of biofuel
production for Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and
Cooperatives, was quoted as saying in an interview with The East African
newspaper. “We have to stop and set out clear procedures for biofuel
investments.”

This follows news of a pending report from Envirocare, an environmental and
human rights organization in the country, on the impact of the jatropha industry
in the country, which we highlighted last week.

An early version of the Envirocare study was apparently given to The East
African newspaper.

“This report has caused controversy in Tanzania,” said Abdallah Mkindi, the
author of the study. “The Tanzanian government has no policy or framework
governing biofuel developments, and this is central to issues surrounding the
biofuel industry in Tanzania.”

Mr. Mkindi stressed, however, that while the newspaper reports on the contents
of the study have been broadly accurate, the document “is still a work in
progress,” he said. “It has yet to be finalized and is due for publication
within the next two weeks.”

Action Aid, an international anti-poverty agency, is also researching the
impacts of biofuel production on food security in Tanzania. Eloias Mtinda, an
agency spokesman, said he met recently with government and industry
representatives to discuss the issue.

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/tanzania-suspends-biofuels-investme\
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