Biofuels and food security

Vijayalakshmi Viswanathan

Energy security has become an area of significance, engaging the
attention of all countries. Bio-fuels have come into prominence as
they are considered to be environmentally friendly with reduced gas
emissions. Less dependence on fossil fuels is a goal which many
nations have set for themselves. The US has fixed a target of
reduction in petroleum consumption by 20 per cent in the next 10
years, largely by turning to ethanol and other alternative fuels.
Bio-fuels are thus considered to be a viable option for achieving the
targeted reduction by many countries.
the preferred choice

The preferred option of bio-fuel now is agricultural products. These
include corn, soya bean, rape seed, wheat, sugar beet, sugar cane and
palm oil. It is understandable that a country such as the US ,
predominantly dictated by the interests of the automobile industry and
is self-sufficient in food, has settled for agro-based bio-fuels
rather than thinking in terms of reduced consumption.

The use of corn for ethanol production and their demand for soya bean
oil has increased world food prices by about 10 per cent, according to
an IMF report.

The Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World has predicted a deficit
of 17 to18 million tonnes in the output of major oil seeds during
2007-08 and a food crisis unless the use of agricultural products for
bio-fuels is curbed or if the weather conditions are ideal and sharply
higher crop yields are achieved in 2008.

More alarming is the forecast that food prices will increase by 20 to
40 per cent in the next decade. The projected scenario should kindle
rethinking on bio-fuel front in countries such as India where vagaries
of monsoon still affect the performance of agricultural sector.

India is in the process of importing wheat. It is also not well placed
in edible oil production. Any attempt to divert land for bio-fuel
depends upon the energy inputs, cost of production and environmental
impact.

It may be argued that the country’s choice of jatropha is ideal as it
can be cultivated in wastelands. The expectation is that 98 million
acres of wasteland can be brought under jatropha cultivation to reduce
20 per cent of the country’s diesel consumption by 2011. Another
argument in favour of jatropha by the proponents is that little
attention and inputs are required. This needs to be gone into
carefully to assess the economics as well as employment generation
potential. A systematic study of the soil fertility also may be called
for.
The desirable proposition

These are times when management ‘gurus’ talk of ‘out of the box’
solutions. Should we be obsessed with bio-energy copying the West and
US which are self-sufficient in food production? In fact, the UK had a
wheat surplus of 2 million tonnes in 2005, which if converted into
bio-fuel (ethanol), would have reduced petroleum consumption by 2.5
per cent. It is also to be noted that a 95 litre fuel tank with pure
ethanol will require 200 kg of corn �" enough calories to feed a person
for a year.

Should we not think in terms of scientific research to convert
non-edible oils into edible oils? Will it not be a more desirable
proposition? It may be a challenge to the scientific community, but it
is worth pursuing when the threat of rising food prices is looming
large before us!
(The author is a former Financial Commissioner, Railway Board.)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/09/12/stories/2007091250060900.htm

`We are in a state of emergency`
Q&A/ Aruna Roy, founder, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan
Prasad Nichenametla / New Delhi August 31, 2007
Aruna Roy, one of the founders of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan
and a former member of the National Advisory Council who recently took
part in the Jan Adhikar Yatra through Rajasthan, tells Prasad
Nichenametla that the governments approach on SEZ and jatropha farming
has been undemocratic.

What led to the Jan Adhikar Yatra in which you took part recently?

In Rajasthan, there are several policies pursued by the state
government against the common people�s interest.

While land is being acquired for special economic zones (SEZs), the
government is also allotting wastelands and degraded forest lands on
commercial scale for jatropha cultivation.

These processes involve no dialogue with the people who would lose
their land and livelihoods.

The state is also amending the Rajasthan Land Tenancy Act, 1955, to
facilitate land transfer from Dalits to non-Dalits, which would take
away the land holdings of the former.

There are also concerns about improper implementation of the National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information
Act (RTI).

So, to know the problems of the people and make them interact on these
issues, we organised the Jan Adhikar Yatra.

The basic idea is while opposing the undemocratic manner in which the
government makes some policy decisions, we want to initiate a
discussion among the general people, the intelligentsia and the
political class.

What kind of response did you receive from the Yatra?

A state-wide procession started on August 9 from Alwar, Tonk, Ajmer
and Sikar towns to converge in Jaipur after interacting with villagers
on the way.

The marches were followed by a discussion till August 26 where people
took part in large numbers. About 1,300 km were covered by 500
padyatris (processionists) who travelled through 800 villages. The
yatra was supported by about 50 organisations.

What about the issue of land acquisition by SEZs?

The Centre has approved the SEZ Act in just two days, without taking
into consideration concerns expressed by various quarters.

This only reflects the government�s reluctance to involve a democratic
discussion on a sensitive issue like land acquisition and displacement
of the marginal sections. Only after the Nandigram episode, the
government has constituted a Parliamentary Committee to look into the
issue.

The same applies to Jatropha cultivation, regarding which the state
cabinet has approved a policy to acquire huge tracts of land for
companies to cultivate the plants. However, even representatives of
the ruling party were not aware of the process.

Under the movement, we would like to know how viable are the projects
like SEZs or Jatropha cultivation and how they would benefit the poor.

Are you satisfied with the NREGA?

I think the NREGA is better than any other employment generation
programme in the country. While it has achieved around 60 per cent
success, a lot more has to be done with a better participation of people.

But the pace of the Act is a bit slow. It is being implemented only in
330 districts, out of which 130 districts will get it in this
financial year.

Social audit is a better way to share ideas and solutions and make the
Act a big success. While it has shown positive results in Rajasthan
and Andhra Pradesh, it seems the government lacks the space and time
to take it to the national level. We need better infrastructure for
better implementation.

What do you think about the implementation of the RTI? Will the Act
with its present content be able to deliver perfectly?

I think the Act in its present form can deliver on its promise. But
the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the nodal body
servicing the Act and the Central Information Commission, is letting
some vested interests play their part.

The DoPT website is still carrying the section on file notings. I
think the RTI should be brought under some other ministries like the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to make it free from such
interventions.

What is your opinion about the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal?

I think the deal paves way for the imperialist forces like the United
States to walk into the country. We are against the deal, and I am
also a signatory to the memorandum submitted to the Centre demanding
that the deal be stalled.

What are your plans? Your opinions on the course of people�s movements
in the country?

I think we have reached a point where there is a severe unrest over
government policies and the overall democratic set-up. There are
attempts to curtail the freedom of the citizens. We are in a state of
emergency without being aware of it.

There is a dire need to save democratic spaces, whether it is the lack
of space to hold protest in Jaipur or the lack of public participation
in policy formulation.

This padyatra was the beginning of a long struggle to regain a voice
in the decision-making process. I would continue my struggle for
people�s rights in all forms.

http://www.business-standard.com/economy/storypage.php?leftnm=3&subLeft=2&chklog\
in=N&autono=296381&tab=r

After ‘Cut Carbon’march, he readies petition for Brown
Pulkit Vasudha

Ahmedabad, August 24: THE crusading environmental activist from the
city, Mahesh Pandya, is back from ‘Cut the Carbon’ march being held in
the United Kingdom. Kicked off on July 14, the march will culminate in
London on October 2 after covering 1,000 miles across the UK.

The march aims to highlight the devastating impacts of climate change
on the poorest people in developing countries. The marchers demand
urgent action by governments to check global warming.

Pandya covered over 400 miles on foot, but he is not tired. Now he is
ready with a signature petition that will soon be sent to British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, requesting him to consider specific
recommendations in the Climate Change Bill to be tabled in the House
of Commons in October.

Another demand is that the UK should encourage other developed
countries to reduce carbon emissions and keep global warming below two
per cent during the UN Conference on Climate Change in December.

Pandya was the only Indian environmental activist among the 21
invitees from Brazil, El Salvador, Congo, Kenya, Philippines,
Tajikistan, Mali, Bangladesh, South Africa, Jamaica and the UK. He
dazzled ministers, leaders and local people with his keen knowledge of
environmental problems facing the developing countries.

During their walk, the marchers kept on asking: ‘What will we do
without rain?’ Pandya encouraged people to think about how the
luxurious lifestyle of the first world contributed to increasing the
penury of the poor in the third world.

“Climate change is no longer an intellectual debate. It is a fact, a
reality of the present,” emphasises Pandya. “More so, it is the
reality of the poor in the poorest regions of the world. If developed
countries reduce their needs, global greenhouse emissions will fall
and stall global warming.”

The UK, a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, is the first country to
initiate a Climate Change Bill which will formally resolve to cut
carbon emissions by 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.

Pandya points out that a single person in a developed country used as
many natural resources as 20 people in developing nations. He cited
Gandhi’s as an example _ the Father of the Nation used a single bucket
of water from the Sabarmati for his daily bath, rich people cannot do
without luxurious showers which consume many litres of water.

In his three interviews with the BBC, and many addresses to the
public, Pandya stressed that developed countries should stop playing
‘green politics’. “Though developed countries are buying carbon credit
from developing and under-developed countries, they have to ensure
that carbon emissions are reduced,” he said. “Clean Development
Mechanism projects in developing countries should be monitored before
buying carbon credits.”

Pandya also rejected the idea of alternative fuel such as biofuel,
which is becoming a rage in many countries which want to switch to
clean sources of energy.

“Biofuel is derived from the jatropha plants which grow naturally in
tropical climates and are used for grazing cattle. If the jatropha is
grown commercially, common grounds _ a valuable resource for shepherds
_ will be enclosed leading to migration and loss of livelihoods,”
explains Pandya. “Displacement also rots the clean environmental
systems of natives. Migration to urban areas leads to a depletion of
natural resources, all of which contribute to climate change.”

Climate change is not just about variations in seasonal cycles, it is
also about growing infertility of land, depletion of fish in water,
scarcity of natural resources and its effects on individual lives.

“The GDP of the country never takes into account the environmental
pollution index. More and more urban Indians are now installing RO
plants to get clean drinking water. Those of us who can afford it, pay
for clean water supply but what about the millions for whom the only
source of water is rivers, ponds and wells?” asks Pandya.

“To be an environmental activist in Gujarat is seen as being
anti-development, but industrialisation needs to be regulated and
monitored even in Gujarat,’’ he says.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=252699

Protests against land acquisitions in India intensify

Besides SEZs, the other burning issue for rural people in India is the
threat from cultivation of jatropha -- the plant used to produce
bio-diesel. “Jatropha is being introduced in a large area of Rajasthan
without any consultations with the people. People who hold documents
for the land they are occupying are thrown out even without issuing
notices,” says Sawai Singh, an activist. “Attempts at reclaiming
common land will lead to serious conflicts in the villages,” he warns.

http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/152479/1/1893

If you are needing it from India then my suggestion is to write to
National Biodiversity Authority and take clearance from them. The
website of NBA is
http://www.nbaindia.org/introduction.htm

From there you can get information on legal procurement of Indian
quality seeds for breeding purpose.

ALL THE BEST.
Pankaj Oudhia

--- In jatropha@..., "johnkraan" <johnkraan@...> wrote:
>
> Hello,
> For breeding proposes I am looking for seed(small amounts) of Pongamia
> and Neem (Azadirachta) from different places. I only need Who can help
> me?
> Greetings John Kraan
> The Netherlands
>

A series of public hearings would be conducted at the six-day �`Jan
Manch,�' which would get underway at Jaipur on August 21. The important
issues that would feature at this public forum were a debate on the
SEZ policies, a move by Rajasthan Government to demarcate 66-lakh
hectares of cultivable public waste land for Jatropha cultivation and
the move to amend the act permitting Dalits to sell the land allocated
to them. Referring to the move to demarcate land for Jatropha
cultivation, Ms. Roy said it had failed in many parts of the world.

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=50225

Thousands of Tanzanian peasants to be displaced for biofuel farm
Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) A British firm, Sun Biofuels PLC, has been
given the go ahead by the authorities in Tanzania to embark on a
massive multimillion dollar biofuel project that will involve the
displacement of thousands of peasants in the Kisarawe district of the
Coast Region for the 9,000 hectares of land needed by the foreign
investor, APA learnt Sunday.

"The process of acquiring land for the project is at an advanced stage
and only awaiting President Jakaya Kikwete's formal approval, a total
of 11 villages will be cleared," the Kisarawe district land officer,
Leo Rwegasira, stated.

He told APA that about US$ 632,411.067 will be paid to a total of
2,840 households as compensation.

The investment is expected directly or indirectly to employ about
1,000 local people for a start.

Estimated to cost about US$ 20million, the agro-processing project
will entail large scale planting of jatropha oil seeds.

According to the 2002 population census, the households in the area
had a total of 11,277 people residing in the 11 villages.

The Kisarawe District Council Chairman, Omar Dibibi, said the Jatropha
biofuel project would catalyse the district's economy and give
Kisarawe residents a new cash crop.

The investment is expected to employ directly or indirectly over 1000
local people for the start, a figure that could rise as the project
expands.

Experts say that while jatropha curcas seeds can be used as fuel for
any diesel engine without modification, they are also used in
manufacturing of varnishes, illuminants, soap, pest control and
medicine for skin diseases.

But according to a recent study entitled " Prospects for Jatropha
Biofuels in Developing Countries: An Analysis for Tanzania with
Strategic Niche Management" there are many obstacles in Tanzania's
energy regime that could impede the emerging transition towards jatropha.

JGN/ad/APA

2007-08-12

African Press Agency
http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/daily_news/thousands_of_tanzanian_peasants_to_b\
e_displaced_for_biofuel_farm_200708125667/

RDC probes land grab
Saturday August 11 2007 12:29 IST

BALANGIR: The issue of farmers, who have been cheated by outside
companies, is now being looked into by the Revenue Divisional
Commissioner (Northern) Madhusudan Padhi.

The Delhibased companies have reportedly grabbed hundreds acres of
fertile lands in the name of Jatropha cultivation. Farmers of three
villages under Patnagarh sub-division are living under fear of land
alienation in this drought-prone district.

RDC will submit his report to the government soon.

RDC, who visited the villages recently to take stock of the situation,
interacted with farmers of three villages. He felt that out of the
three big patches of land, two were fraudulently grabbed by the companies.

The most affected village is Ghumer. The other two villages are
Ghunghutipali and Jalpali. RDC revealed that some sorts of
extrapolation have been done by the companies in the land registration
process.

��It seemed that there were many names of company having one
ownership. It came to our notice that some local people helped the
company. A man, who is stationed in Patnagarh acting as agent of
company, could not tell which company appointed him,�� said the
RDC.

He further revealed that although lands were registered at an
exorbitant price, farmers were given less. The intention of the
company behind this may be to avail bank loan, RDC hinted.

However, he said cheating is done in such a manner that it may be
difficult to recover the lands.

The farmers have put signatures in the sale deeds.

Government ordered an RDClevel inquiry when reports spread about the
farmers of three villages lost around 340 acre of land for Jatropha
cultivation to Taj Gas Limited, a Delhi-based private company.

Farmers of Ghumer said 51 acre of land was purchased at the rate of Rs
7000 an acre by the company.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20070811020743&Page=Q&Title=ORISS\
A&Topic=0

[Thanks S.Choudhary ji for forwarding this information- Moderator]

Editorial
The Farmer's Nightmare?

Published: August 10, 2007

Only a few years ago, ethanol was just a line in a farm-state
politician's stump speech � something that went down well with the
locals but didn't mean much to anyone else. Now, of course, ethanol is
widely touted � and, within reason, rightly so � as an important part
of America's search for energy independence and greener fuels. One
day, we may be using cellulosic ethanol, the kind derived from
grasses. For now, the ethanol boom is all about corn. And the real
question is whether that will finally kill American farming as we know it.

Farmers in the corn belt have watched the coming of the ethanol boom
with an ill-concealed excitement. They've invested in small-town
processing plants, and they've happily seen the price of corn
fluctuate steadily upward. But land prices have also moved steadily
upward. Land set aside for conservation is being put back into
production. And a bidding war has broken out over acreage, a war that
farmers are sure to lose to speculative investors.

In short, the ethanol boom is accelerating the inequity in the rural
landscape. The high price of corn � and the prospect of continued huge
demand � doesn't benefit everyone equally. It gives bigger, richer
farmers and outside investors the ability to outcompete their smaller
neighbors. It cuts young farmers hoping to get a start out of the
equation entirely. It reduces diversity in crops and in farm size.

For the past 75 years, America's system of farm subsidies has
unfortunately driven farming toward such concentration, and there's no
sign that the next farm bill will change that. The difference this
time is that American farming is poised on the brink of true
industrialization, creating a landscape driven by energy production
and what is now called "biorefining." What we may be witnessing is the
beginning of the tragic moment in which the ownership of America's
farmland passes from the farmer to the industrial giants of energy and
agricultural production.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/opinion/10fri2.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin\
&oref=slogin

Dear All,

Reports have come from Adhar, Balangir that farmers who have been
affected by Jatropha plantation have finally got some reprieve after
the intervention of the revenue administration. On 7th August RDC,
Sambalpur and other revenue officials, following up the information
provided by Adhar and Vasundhara, visited Patnagarh where they met the
affected families from Ghumer and other villages from Patnagarh block
whose livelihood has been threatened by companies promoting Jatropha
plantation.

During the grievance, the RDC verified the information and found that
farmers have lost their land to unscrupulous companies promoting
Jatropha. He has assured that the government would take steps to help
farmers get back their land and has also assured to take action
against the people involved in this exploitation. At last information
and mobilization has brought hope for the farmers in Balangir.


Best Wishes,
Tushar Dash
Vasundhara.org, Orissa, India

-----------------
[Thanks Tushar and Vasundhara for sharing this information-Moderator.]

Dear group members,
    I am in process of preparation of technical report to show how this
exotic plant is affecting Indian biodiversity. Report is having
information about medicinal species affected by direct negative impact
of Jatropha allelochemicals with pictures taken in different parts of
Chhattisgarh and neighboring state.


regards
Pankaj Oudhia

All set for padayatra against ‘undemocratic’ SEZ policies

‘Jatropha cultivation is being introduced in Rajasthan without
consulting the people’

Dalit and Adivasi groups are worried over proposed amendment to
Rajasthan Tenancy Act


JAIPUR: Growing public unease over the governments’ move in various
States to hand over community land to big companies and influential
groups in the name of promoting Special Economic Zones and bio-diesel
cultivation will manifest itself in a mass padayatra on August Kranti
Diwas (August 9) planned by various activist groups under the banner
of ‘Rozgar Evum Suchana Ka Adhikar Abhiyan’ (Campaign for Employment
and Right to Information) from all four directions of Rajasthan.

Christened ‘Jan Adhikar Yatra’, the march will have four groups
beginning their walkathon from Alwar, Ajmer, Tonk and Sikar --
representing North, South, East and West -- to reach the State capital
here on August 21 and converge into a dharna till August 26. The
marchers all along the route will spread awareness among the people on
the issues involved, hold meetings, collect and disseminate data and
generate public opinion.The issues in focus are: the manner in which
policies and programmes are implemented without consulting the people
in the case of SEZs, the bio-diesel policy and in making amendments in
the Rajasthan Tenancy Act to drop Section 42 B which guards the
exclusive land rights of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

“We want answers from all political parties on land rights of the
people, their livelihood avenues and their stake in the democratic
decision making process,” said Magsaysay Award winner Aruna Roy,
talking to journalists here. More than SEZs, the nightmare elsewhere,
the threat from jatropha cultivation seemed to be immediate and
challenging for the rural people of the State.

“Jatropha is being introduced in a large area of Rajasthan without any
consultations with people. People who hold documents for the land they
are occupying are thrown out even without issuing notices,” noted
Sawai Singh. “The attempts at reclaiming the common land also would
lead to serious conflicts in the villages,” he warned.

Hariram Gujjar of Kuncholi village and Jamini Bai Bheel of Mala Magra
in Mawli tehsil of Udaipur district were thrown out of their land a
month ago. There are over two dozen such families in their villages.
Now the paradox is that the same land would be allocated to BPL groups
to cultivate jatropha. “In our village, most of the BPL cardholders
are Rajputs,” said Hariram, revealing another side of the farce.

The Dalit and Adivasi groups are worried about the proposed amendment
to the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, which would facilitate the sale of land
belonging to them to non-SC/ST. This is also said to be part of the
move to make available land for SEZ and jatropha plantation.

“We are worried about the move as we have been told that the proposed
amendment would be taken up in the Assembly on the last day of the
coming session and passed without any debate,” Mr. Mimroth observed.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/09/stories/2007080956080800.htm

[Thanks Shubhranshu Choudhary ji for forwarding this
information.-Moderator.]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rishu Garg <rishu@...>
Date: Aug 8, 2007 4:49 AM
Subject: RE: [se-food][se-watr] Query: Bio-fuel Plantation through
CommunityGroups - Experiences.
To: "Food and Nutrition Security Community,  Water Community" <
se-food_se-wes@...>

Note: The earlier responder Mr. C R Bhatia is no longer with the
Department of Biotechnology; the error is unintentional.





Dear All,



There was an article in HT editorial yesterday (7th August) titled "
From gas to hot air" by Darryl D'Monte trying to address the question,
Are bio-fuels really the answer to our consumption and environmental
problems?. The article raises issues like consequences of large scale
cultivation of Jatropha, use of water and reach of the poor to the
common property resources.



In my earlier response I had meant that there are villages and
habitations spread across the state which are affected by poor water
quality (including salinity), there are also villages spread almost
across the state where mining is done and that there are also areas
that have reported of increasing soil salinity and therefore my query
of "experiences that suggest variation in production of Jatropha seeds
on such lands and how it responds to saline water" was to know if
Jatropha cultivation is feasible in such circumstances.  I am sharing
with this mail a "Report of Expert Committee on Integrated Development
of Water Resources". The expert committee was formed by government of
Rajasthan to assess state water resources and requirements in policy,
identify measures for integrated development of water resources in the
state, analyze ground water resources and to identify corrective
measures to enhance water to use efficiency in the state. The report
estimates that in 2004 status of only 14 percent of the blocks of the
state could be categorized as safe. The report states that there are
large tracts of Chambal; Mahi and Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP)
areas that are affected by salinity and water logging problems. The
report also compares the ground water quality of the state with the
status in rest of India. Of the total habitations and villages across
the country that have multiple water quality problems, 76 percent are
in Rajasthan. In all there are 41,072 villages and habitations in the
state reportedly having water quality problems. The report also
suggested that of the total water use 83 percent is used for
irrigation and that there are issues related to equitable access to
water and the need for more efficient use of water. My query on
response of Jatropha seedling to low quality water was based on the
above mentioned status of water quality in the state, as it becomes
all the more important in this context to also ensure that such water
use (for irrigating Jatropha plantations) would not jeopardize use of
water for drinking or irrigation of crops or for that matter further
deplete ground water resources and at the same time yield adequately
so as to be financially feasible.  C.R. Bhatia has talked about it,
"The best Jatropha plantations are the ones with intensive management
and drip irrigation".



Viren Lobo have raised two important issues. First, that 60 lakh
persons being affected by forcible cultivation of bio-fuel and second,
the need to look into the aspect of sustainable land use to meet the
needs of small and marginal farmers. I agree with him. C.R.Bhatia has
also talked about the need for developing wastelands as "energy
farms". I would request Viren to share the study of Dr Sudhirender
Sharma's.



Amitangshu Acharya shared the latest issue of Agrofuels. The issue
assesses the problems that have started to surface in South Asian
countries, Brazil and U.S. At this point of time I am sure we need to
learn from experiences across the globe. The article also talks about
the increased release of nitrogen dioxide in atmosphere those results
from use of fertilizers in the production of bio fuels. R. Santhanm
has suggested use of organic farming methodologies to be efficient in
Indian context. Amitangshu has also suggested of identifying and
listing of NGOs working on the issue. I think it's a good suggestion
and this network could easily help us in doing so. This would also
help us in drawing grass root concerns before it too late. Concerns
for landless, small and marginal farmers have been raised by Rahul
Banerjee and M.K.Dasgupta. I would request Rahul to share experiences
of his organisation on Jatropha in Malwa region. As I know, districts
around Indore (Indore, Dewas, Ujjain, Sehore) are highly fertile black
cotton soil areas where cotton and soyabean yields are high and
Jatropha have been grown by farmers on their agricultural bunds for
fencing. Similar concerns have been raised by H.S. Sharma. Concerns
regarding marketing of produce form bio-fuel plantations in Andhra
Pradesh have been raised by G Nirmala. Subhash Mehta by sharing
observations of Macaulay have also expressed concerns regarding long
term implications of policies that affect food security of the country.



Rishu Garg

Association for Rural Advancement through Voluntary Action and Local
Involvement (ARAVALI)

Jaipur





[se-food][se-watr] Query: Bio-fuel Plantation through Community Groups
- Experiences.



Dear Members,



I am Rishu Garg and I work for ARAVALI, Jaipur. ARAVALI is a
Government of Rajasthan initiated NGO working towards bridging the gap
between government and non-government organisations. We work with
partner organisations across the state on issues of Natural Resource
Management (NRM), Microfinance and livelihoods providing sectoral
inputs as well as for developing effective voluntary institutions.
Besides, we also take up research and policy advocacy work and try to
involve our partners into it.



Recently the government of Rajasthan has come out with a notification
on allotment of wastelands for bio-fuel production. According to the
rules the wastelands in the state can be allotted to Self Help Groups
(SHGs), community based organisations, panchayats, societies,
companies and government undertakings with Below Poverty level (BPL)
membership. The land allotment is for twenty years; a premium and
yearly fees is charged for such allotments to companies, societies and
government undertakings. For allotment to SHGs, community based
organisations and panchayats, no fee is charged. There are also some
other salient features in the programmes like mandatory installation
of micro-irrigation system and provision of mortgaging the land from
financial institutions etc. As a result a number of companies and
other private institutions are vying for allocation of wastelands of
the state. This is also (potential) livelihood opportunity for poor
people of the state, therefore the poorest (BPL groups and community
based organisations) must seize the opportunity.



I think the solution exchange community can pour in with their
experiences on bio-fuel plantation and learning from implementation of
plantation projects, with high gestation period (at least four to five
years for seed production), low returns and an element of
privatization of Common Property Resources.



Apart from the above stated issues I request members to respond on the
three specific queries below:

1.       Which are plant species other than Pongamia glabra (Karanj)
and Jatropa curcas (Jatropha) that could qualify for bio-fuel plant?

2.       What have been the past experiences of promotion of these bio
fuels in semi-arid and arid regions (rainfall up to 450-500 mm)?

3.       Experiences of SHGs in taking up Jatropha and other
plantation as a livelihood promotion activity?



I would be thankful to the community if some success or failure
stories or any pertinent information regarding the same could be
shared through this platform.



Thanks and regards



Rishu Garg

Association for Rural Advancement through Voluntary Action and Local
Involvement (ARAVALI)

Jaipur




--
-----------------------------------------------------------
Shubhranshu Choudhary                Freelance Journalist
Ph : + 91 98110 66749                   e mail : smitashu@...
http://36garh.notlong.com              http://www.cgnet.in

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=103180

This book is published by Vasundhara, www.vasundharaorissa.org

Translated Hindi articles of mine are also part of this book.

It was released during this workshop.
http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=103166


Pankaj Oudhia

Dear Jatropha group

Please let me know if it of interest to people in the
jatropha group to get the articles I sometimes forward
on biofuels. It's an area expanding at scary speed as
you all know. Incidentally Vedanta's recent annual
report says it's planting 1 million jatropha plants
annually now. I Just wrote a report on this company's
recent London AGM, where several of us asked searching
questions as shareholder-activists and staged a
demonstration outside. If anyone's interested I'll
forward this report, press clippings etc

Best wishes Felix Padel




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[Thanks to Shri S.Choudhary for forwarding this article-Moderator.]

Biofuels, climate change and GM crops �" who is really benefiting?

Rod Harbinson, head of the Environment Programme at Panos London,
looks at some of the controversy regarding genetically-engineered
biofuels, and their suggested role in fighting climate change.

Governments, oil companies and agribusinesses all support biofuels as
a way to combat climate change. Genetic engineering plays an
increasing role in biofuel production. Can replacing fossil fuels with
biofuels reduce carbon emissions?

Biofuels are renewable fuels produced from crops or biomass, including
crops grown specifically for converting into fuel. Political leaders
and businesses increasingly suggest biofuels as an alternative to
declining fossil fuel reserves. One attraction is that they can reduce
a country's dependence on imported fuel supplies, an increasingly
important political issue.

Several countries invest in biofuels:

     * Brazil leads the world in domestic biofuel production, mostly
from sugar cane.
     * Small-scale production helps small communities to raise an
income and meet their fuel needs, for example in Peru.
     * The European Union target for biofuels in the transport sector
is 5.7 percent by 2010. In March 2007, the European Council agreed a
binding minimum level for biofuels of 10 percent of vehicle fuel by 2020.
     * The USA has recently built more than 50 ethanol refineries to
meet its target of producing 5 billion gallons of biofuel each year by
2012.

Ambitious targets in rich countries have placed demands on developing
countries to provide crops for biofuel, especially maize. It is not
clear whether developing countries can benefit from large-scale
biofuel production because growing crops for biofuel can take up water
and land currently used for domestic food production. Reduced exports
of crops from rich countries can also hit poor people; in 2007, there
were demonstrations in Mexico about the rising price of maize from
biofuel demand.

Some governments support biofuels to meet targets to reduce carbon
emissions. However, biofuels have limitations as a source of 'clean'
energy. Many have low or negative carbon savings, because growing
crops and the process of converting them into fuel is
energy-intensive, often relying on fossil fuels. Clearing land for
biofuel crops also affects natural ecosystems, particularly tropical
rainforests. In the Amazon, clearing forest for biofuel crops releases
more carbon into the atmosphere than the biofuels save.

Research into biofuels based on cellulose from trees or crop wastes
uses genetically modified (GM) bacteria and enzymes to break down
plant waste and convert it to biofuels. Other GM research seeks
biofuel crops which grow faster. High-yield GM biofuels crops also
require large land areas, putting pressure on natural vegetation or
displacing food crops. Shared concerns, as with food crops, include
the impact of GM organisms on human health and the environment, such
as the risk of genetic pollution.

Biofuels are attracting increasing attention and investment as an
alternative to fossil- based fuels. Before trying to meet global fuel
demands and increase trade in developing countries, governments in
each country must answer some important questions:

     * Will the biofuel industry in developing countries support local
energy needs, or just meet the demands of richer nations?
     * Will biofuel crops displace domestic food production?
     * Are there laws and controls in place to track any GM organisms
used to produce biofuels?
     * Has there been any public discussion about GM crops, and which
issues do people consider most important?
     * What limits are there to ensure that expanding the area of
cultivated land does not damage natural ecosystems?

Rod Harbinson

What do you think?
Comment on this viewpoint by emailing id21viewpoints@...


Further Information
Environment Programme
Panos London
9 White Lion Street
London, N1 9PD
UK

Panos London, UK
Email: environment@...

See also
Fuelling controversy �" can biofuels slow the speed of climate change?
Panos Media Toolkit on Climate Change �" No. 1, by Rod Harbinson, 2006

Useful links
id21 viewpoint: Tree plantations and climate change - avoiding
responsibility in Ecuador

id21 viewpoint: Litigating for climate justice

id21 insights 53: Securing development in the face of climate change

id21 insights 52: Debating GM crops

Maybe we cd co-ordinate a letter to this newspaper?
The propaganada promoting biofuels/jatropha need all
the counteracting they can get!

Best wishes
Felix



      
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‘Tuba-tuba’ nuts down 21 pupils


Cebu Daily News
Last updated 05:44pm (Mla time) 07/27/2007

CEBU, Philippines�"Twenty-one elementary students of a public school in
an island-village of Tubigon, Bohol were hospitalized for food
poisoning after eating the fruit of 'tuba-tuba' on Wednesday.

The students had just been released from their morning class at the
Batasan Island Elementary School at past 11 a.m. on Wednesday and were
walking home when they passed by two tuba-tuba trees and started
picking the nuts and eating its seeds, not knowing they were
poisonous, according to Dr. Adoracion Torregosa, administrator of the
Tubigon Community Hospital.

Tuba-tuba, or jatropha, is considered as one of the country's most
promising source of bio-fuel today because its nuts contained oil that
can be processed into biodiesel fuel.

The victims, with ages ranging from 7 to 13 years old, are all
residents of Batasan Island, an islet 30 minutes by motorized boat
from mainland Tubigon.

Torregosa said the students immediately complained of abdominal pain
and headache after they ate the seeds. Some of them started vomiting,
he said.

Torregosa said the pupils were brought to the hospital at 3 p.m. on
Wednesday, around four hours after the poisoning.

Torregosa said the parents first gave them first aid treatment by
making them drink coconut milk and cooking oil.

"The leader of the group, the one who enticed the other children to
eat the seeds, ate four seeds but he was up and about because (his)
resistance was strong. The rest were the ones who were poisoned,"
Torregosa said.

Torregosa said the children ate the tuba-tuba nuts because they tasted
like peanuts and pili nuts.

Torregosa said the tuba-tuba trees were inside a fence but some
fruit-bearing branches hanged over the road and became easy picking
for the passing children.

Torregosa said that 19 of the children were brought to the town's
hospital. Everlie Bopero, 8, was brought to St. Joseph Clinic in the
town, and John Alfie Oldinaria, 12, was brought to Tagbilaran City's
Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital.

The 19 pupils who were brought to the Tubigon Community Hospital (TCH)
were Princess Mae Ladrera, 7; Chandrina Premacio, 10; Jollyvie
Bañanola, 7; Jessa Bañanola, 7; Krishia Cosicol, 7; Christine Mae
Sucano,7; Jhul Raven Fernandez, 13; Jenalyn Cubellas, 8; Jonalyn
Alipoyo, 8; Dynaven Saavedra, 7; Aina Plaza, 9; Reggie Premacio, 9;
Rica Mejares, 7; Angelica Cabillo, 8; Billy Joe Premacio, 12; Erica
Mae Mejares, 7; Jerrick Elle, 9; Stephen Oldenaria, 7; and Steven
Tabat, 7.

Torregosa said the pupils brought to TCH were given dextrose and
confined overnight. They were released at 10 a.m. yesterday, he said.

Torregosa said Bopero was already home while Oldinaria was also about
to be released.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/visayas/view_article.php?article_\
id=79092

Tribe at threat by 'green' fuels demand

Last Updated: 12:01am BST 28/07/2007

One of the last nomadic tribes on earth is threatened by rampant
commercial logging and palm oil plantations for bio-fuel, a Malaysian
government report said yesterday.

For 20 years the Penan people from the jungles of Serawak have mounted
a peaceful campaign to protect their ancestral lands, only to be
driven back by soldiers, police and contractors.

Earlier this year, as police firing shots in the air tore down the
latest blockades of bamboo tied with grass, Penan leaders said that if
the loggers were not stopped their jungle would be entirely destroyed
within two years.


Now at last they have received some official backing. "Claims made [by
Penans] on ancestral land are often not considered by the relevant
authorities and those who clear the forest areas and commence logging
and oil palm activities," said the report, recommending that the land
code be reviewed to include customary rights.

It may already be too late for the Penan. The rainforests of Serawak
are millions of years old but have been decimated by the Malaysian
logging companies which, campaigners say, have felled trees at a
faster rate than anywhere else in the world.

According to the British charity Survival, the rights of the Penan
over the land are "openly violated".

The ancient inhabitants of the jungle live by a gentle code that
astonishes outsiders. Because sharing is habitual there is no word for
"thank you".

Anthropologists recorded that anger is so rare among the Penan that 40
years after two women argued over an incident of adultery the location
was still known as "the house of hair pulling".

When the loggers came the rivers the Penan relied on for fish were
polluted, while the wild animals and plants that provide their unique
diet and the poisonous latex for the tips of their darts became scarce.

Now, however, there is a new pressure on their environment.

"As our forests disappear, they are being replaced by oil palm and
acacia," a tribal elder said earlier this month.

European and North American demand for "green" bio-fuels made from
palm oil means rainforests across the region are being replaced with
plantations.

Today, only a few hundred Penan maintain their traditional nomadic way
of life, while about 10,000 have settled in village longhouses but
still rely on extended trips to the jungle to gather medicines and food.

According to the report, a majority of the people in these settlements
"live in abject poverty" without education, amenities or basic health
care.

[Source: Telegraph.co.uk] (Thanks to Mr.S.Choudhary for forwarding
this news.-Moderator.)

Tuba-tuba downs 20 pupils in Bohol

At least 20 students in an elementary school in Bohol were rushed
Wednesday afternoon to a local hospital after being poisoned by
jathropa or tuba-tuba fruit.

Radio station dzMM reported Thursday that the victims were Grade 1 and
Grade 2 students from the Batasan Elementary School in Batasan Island,
Tubigon town.

Jerick Edel, one of the victims, was reportedly lured to eat the fruit
located just outside the school premises and invited his other
classmates to join him.

The children then suffered stomach pains and were soon rushed to the
Tubigon Community Hospital for treatment.

Jatropha is potentially lethal to humans and animals once ingested.

Health officers in Mindanao have been quoted in previous reports as
saying that jatropha fruits, once eaten, could cause death if
medication is not immediately administered on the patient.

Oil extracted from the the seed of the jathropa plant, or physic nut,
can be used to produce biofuel and soap. The plant's leaves are also
used to fumigate households and expel bugs.

It takes a 30-minute boat ride from the Tubigon town proper to reach
Batasan Island.

Tubigon is a second class municipality and seaport in Bohol that has a
population of 40,385 people in 7,714 households. - GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/52808/Tuba-tuba-downs-20-pupils-in-Bohol

Thanks Shubhranshu Choudhary ji for forwarding this useful information.

Moderator.


THE BIOFUEL MYTHS: NEED FOR A REALITY CHECK


The term “biofuels” suggests renewable abundance: clean, green,
sustainable assurance about technology and progress. This pure image
allows industry, politicians, the World Bank, the United Nations and
even the International Panel on Climate Change to present fuels made
from corn, sugar cane, soy and other crops as the next step in a
smooth transition from peak oil to a yet-to-be-defined renewable fuel
economy.
But in reality, biofuel draws its power from cornucopian myths and
directs attention away from economic interests that would benefit from
the transition, while avoiding discussion of the growing North-South
food and energy imbalance.
They obscure the political-economic relationships between land,
people, resources and food, and fail to help us understand the
profound consequences of the industrial transformation of our food and
fuel systems. “Agro-fuels” better describes the industrial interests
behind the transformation.
Industrialized nations started the biofuels boom by demanding
ambitious renewable-fuel targets. These targets far exceed the
agricultural capacities of the industrial North. Europe would need to
plant 70% of its farmland with fuel crops. The entire corn and soy
harvest of the US would need to be processed as ethanol and biodiesel.
Converting most arable land to fuel crops would destroy the food
systems of the North, so the Organization of Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) countries are looking to the South to meet demand.
The rapid capitalization and concentration of power within the
biofuels industry is extreme. Over the past three years, venture
capital investment in biofuels has increased by 800%. Private
investment is swamping public research institutions.
Behind the scenes, under the noses of most national antitrust laws,
giant oil, grain, auto and genetic engineering corporations are
forming partnerships, and they are consolidating the research,
production, processing and distribution chains of food and fuel
systems under one industrial roof.
Biofuel champions assure us that because fuel crops are renewable,
they are environment-friendly, can reduce global warming and will
foster rural development. But the tremendous market power of biofuel
corporations, coupled with the poor political will of governments to
regulate their activities, make this unlikely. We need a public
enquiry into the myths:
Because photosynthesis performed by fuel crops removes greenhouse
gases from the atmosphere and can reduce fossil fuel consumption, we
are told they are green. But when the full life cycle of biofuels is
considered, from land clearing to consumption, the moderate emission
savings are outweighed by far greater emissions from deforestation,
burning, peat drainage, cultivation and soil-carbon losses. Every
tonne of palm oil generates 33 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions�"10
times more than petroleum. Tropical forests cleared for sugar cane
ethanol emit 50% more greenhouse gases than the production and use of
the same amount of petrol.
Proponents of biofuels argue that fuel crops planted on
ecologically-degraded lands will improve rather than destroy the
environment. Perhaps the government of Brazil had this in mind when it
reclassified some 200 million hectares of dry-tropical forests,
grassland and marshes as degraded and apt for cultivation.
In reality, these are the biodiverse ecosystems of the Atlantic
Forest, the Cerrado and the Pantanal, occupied by indigenous people,
subsistence farmers and extensive cattle ranches. The introduction of
agro-fuel plantations will push these communities to the agricultural
frontier of the Amazon where the devastating patterns of deforestation
are well known.
In the tropics, 100 hectares dedicated to family farming generates 35
jobs. Oil-palm and sugar cane provide 10 jobs, eucalyptus two, and
soybeans a scant half job per 100 hectares, all poorly paid. Until
recently, biofuels supplied primarily local and sub-regional markets.
Now big industry is moving in, centralizing operations and creating
huge economies of scale.
Biofuels producers will be dependent on a cabal of companies for their
seed, inputs, services, processing and sale. They are not likely to
receive many benefits. Small holders will be forced out of the market
and off the land. Hundreds of thousands have already been displaced by
the soybean plantations in the “Republic of Soy”, a 50 million hectare
area in southern Brazil, northern Argentina, Paraguay and eastern Bolivia.
Hunger results not from scarcity, but poverty. The world’s poorest
already spend 50-80% of household income on food. They suffer when
high fuel prices push up food prices. Now, because food and fuel crops
compete for land and resources, both increase the price of land and
water. The International Food Policy Research Institute has estimated
that the price of basic staples will increase 20-33% by 2010 and
26-135% by 2020. Caloric consumption declines as price rises by a
ratio of 1:2.
Limits must be placed on the biofuels industry. The North cannot shift
the burden of overconsumption to the South because the tropics have
more sunlight, rain and arable land. If biofuels are to be forest- and
food-friendly, the industry need to be regulated, and not piecemeal.
Strong, enforceable standards based on limiting land planted for
biofuels are urgently needed, as are antitrust laws powerful enough to
prevent the corporate concentration of market power in the industry.
Sustainable benefits to the countryside will only accrue if biofuels
are a complement to plans for sustainable rural development, not the
centrepiece.
A global moratorium on the expansion of biofuels is needed to develop
regulatory structures and foster conservation and development
alternatives to the transition. We need the time to make a better
transition to food and fuel sovereignty.
International Herald Tribune
http://www.livemint.com/2007/07/11213247/THE-BIOFUEL-MYTHS-NEED-FOR-A.html?atype\
=tp

I was part of this Radio program. The interviewer visited Raipur by
saying that she is coming only to meet me. During interview I was
forced to support Jatropha any how. Same interview was taken many
times in name of clear recording. Later I found that all this was on
invitation of the state Jatropha authorities. I was kept in this
program to 'balance' it. I have also not heard this program but
summary in internet is sufficient to say that they have presented one
sided story. I invited them to visit Magarload region where 13
children were sick by eating Jatropha. But they refused to visit and
meet the children.

After this incidence I decided to keep distance with the reporters
eager to make one sided story rather 'sponsored story'.

regards
Pankaj Oudhia

--- In jatropha@..., Felix Padel <felixorisa@...> wrote:
>
> Dear friends
>
> Below is a digest of biofuel news, with one item about
> jatropha in India and my response.
>
> Unfortunately I missed the BBC Radio4 programme, but
> the glimpse of what it was saying is terrifying. As
> someone following endless movements in India where
> cultivators are trying to hold on to the land they
> live on sustainably, and knowing how ruthlessly people
> are being evicted in other countries, I can guarantee
> that most of this 11 million hectares of "wasteland"
> is either land cultivated by farmers or wildland
> necessary for wildlife.
>
> Felix Padel
>
>
>
>
>
>
________________________________________________________________________________\
____
> Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone
who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
> http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545433
>

Biofuels not the ideal solution

AS THE world seeks alternatives to fossil fuels (petrol, oil, diesel),
the focus is gradually shifting to biofuels, believed to be efficient
and friendly to the environment.

However, the biofuel industry, without strict regulation, can be as
catastrophic as the fossil fuel industry is in Africa.

  Production of biofuels like ethanol on a small scale can contribute
to local energy sufficiency. That changes as millions of acres
worldwide are converted to corn, Jatropha, palm oil and soy among
other crops. In fact, we could be making climate change even worse,
driving more species into extinction, and, at the same time,
threatening food production in developing countries.

Biofuels may exacerbate the problems of social inequality and poverty,
particularly in Africa. Using potential agricultural land and water to
grow biofuels instead of food for domestic consumption will have a
detrimental effect on food security in the continent that is already
struggling to feed its more than 800 million inhabitants.

Though poor countries in Africa could benefit from using biofuel
efficiently without destroying the ecosystem, a global biofuel
regulatory system should be put in place first. Such a system would
protect vulnerable communities in the developing countries from the
predatory and profit-driven multinational companies that are likely to
pursue new business opportunities in the biofuel industry.

Grace Akumu
Executive director,
Climate Network Africa, Nairobi
http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Opinion/opinion1607076.htm

Dear friends

Below is a digest of biofuel news, with one item about
jatropha in India and my response.

Unfortunately I missed the BBC Radio4 programme, but
the glimpse of what it was saying is terrifying. As
someone following endless movements in India where
cultivators are trying to hold on to the land they
live on sustainably, and knowing how ruthlessly people
are being evicted in other countries, I can guarantee
that most of this 11 million hectares of "wasteland"
is either land cultivated by farmers or wildland
necessary for wildlife.

Felix Padel





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From "GRAIN - Shalini Bhutani" <shalini@...>

Hello,

GRAIN has just launched a special issue of its Seedling magazine,
focused on the growing stampede to adopt bio fuels, or as GRAIN
calls them, agrofuels.

This special issue of Seedling is available since the end of June
both online and soon afterwards in printed format. We are therefore
making a special effort with this issue of Seedling to distribute
widely, both the printed copies and the electronic version.

If would like to receive extra copies of the printed magazine
Seedling for further distribution amongst your circle, within
workshops or even amongst others subscriber lists, please do email
at seedling@... with details of your name, address, telephone
number and number of copies. Ideally, we would need to know how many
copies of Seedling you would like to receive ASAP.

Seedling magazine is also available on our website as from 27th June
2007. The URL for this Seedling http://www.grain.org/go/agrofuels or
http://www.grain.org/go/biofuels, where all articles will be
available in PDF and HTML format. To receive notification of when
Seedling is available please do sign up to our New from GRAIN email
list at: http://www.grain.org/go/subnfg, and then please do forward
the email to all your relevant contacts.

For further information about this special issue of Seedling on
agrofuels, please feel free to mail at seedling@...

Many thanks,

for all at GRAIN





Shalini Bhutani

Regional Programme Officer, Asia

GRAIN

shalini@...

http://www.grain.org



Seedling GRAIN's quarterly magazine - view our articles online
(http://www.grain.org/seedling/)



"No to the agrofuels craze!" Read the Seedling issue focused on
agrofuels (biofuels): www.grain.org/go/agrofuels

Item 4 here on Columbia. Items 1-3 on the huge &
dangerous boost being given to biofuels in Europe and
US, without comrehension of the effects in developing
countries.
Felix




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