Help rural poor with small scale bioenergy

October 6th, 2011 | Posted by iip in Energy - (0 Comments)

There are ways of helping rural poor with energy-based projects, such energy efficient cooking stove to small scale bioenergy.

A joint study of FAO and DFiD shows, when produced on a small-scale in local communities, bioenergy can play a significant role in rural development in poor countries. The study refers to 15 bioenergy projects in Latin America, Africa and Asia involving 12 countries.

Most poor areas in rural area are depending on biomass for cooking and heating. About 80 percent of them sources from wood.

The study highlights possible benefits for rural poor:

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Financial crisis undermining biofuel market

January 15th, 2011 | Posted by iip in Forest - (Comments Off)

What happen to smallholder biodiesel-material producers when major biodiesel consumers are bumping into financial crisis? This is likely a drastic situation after biofuel (both ethanol and biodiesel) market came up in highest demand last year.

Did you know the predicted consumption of biofuels by 2030 is just over 140 millions tons of oil equivalents? A recent report of RRI says this prediction is based on the ‘with subsidy’ case, which, in a very conservative estimate would require an additional 35 million hectares of land. This prediction was taken before the financial crisis come out.

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Deforestation, biofuel and agrarian reform

August 7th, 2009 | Posted by iip in Forest - (0 Comments)

Today deforestation always linked to some issues : biofuel demand, settlement development and agrarian reform. A recent news from Brazil informs causes of deforestation in Amazon forest region is linked to agrarian reform implemented by government.

In Indonesia,most deforestation are linked to agriculture expansion and settlement development. In recent years, tropical forests also threatened by the expansion of oil palm plantation as world’s demand on biofuel is raising. In fact, oil palm plantation are built close to forests areas or degraded forest areas. Government of Indonesia has reserving some forests areas called conversion forests to be converted to other land uses including plantation.

Now, more countries are moving up to halting deforestation using global mechanism called REDD (Reducing Emissions from deforestation and degradation). Although the mechanism is still testing in some places, the mechanism has potential advances to limiting the impact of deforestation on climate change. Deforestation is known as a significant contributor of carbon emission.

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