Tanzania is set to receive some assistance on its biofuel policy from its neighbor Uganda. David Mathayo, Uganda’s Deputy Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Minister is heading up a biofuel policy for the Tanzanian government. “It is the policy that will be guiding us in the development process,” said Minister Mathayo.
The primary purpose for this policy is to ensure that the biofuel industry does not develop at the expense of the country’s food security. Currently the country only cultivates about 26% of the 19.1 million hectares of arable land.
The Africa Biodiversity Network published a study about biofuel project development and selection practices that could have disastrous environmental and humanitarian impacts in Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Benin.
“It is the aim of the policy to guide us that no land that is suitable for maize or rice is given to investors who want to develop large-scale jatropha plantations,” said Minister Mathayo.
Presently, eight investors have applied for licenses to set up biofuel projects worth Sh131.7808 million (about $109,270.00) and create over 6,500 jobs.