The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance welcomed representatives from 14 southern African nations into the Global Alliance, making up the Southern African Biofuels Alliance to promote biofuels-friendly policies.
“Biofuels represent an enormous opportunity for developing countries particularly those reliant on crude imports,” Andrew Makenete, President of the Southern African Biofuels Association (SABA) explained. “A sustainable biofuels industry utilizing multiple feedstocks will attract investments in agriculture, reduce our reliance on imported energy and improve income levels,” said Makenete. “This is a win, win, win for developing countries.”
Jacques Diouf, the Director General of the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, earlier last year echoed this sentiment claiming that the biofuels industry can be a recipe for poverty alleviation in developing countries, particularly southern Africa.
Global Alliance spokesperson Bliss Baker referenced a recent report from the Netherlands citing the enormous energy crop potential in the region. The Copernicus Institute in the Netherlands authored a study on energy crop production potential in southern Africa. The study found that, after accounting for food production and resource constraints, Southern Africa had the highest energy crop production potential of all major world regions due to large areas of suitable cropland and the current low productivity of existing farming systems.
“What we need now more than ever are the right policies and investment in this industry if this potential is to be realized particularly in southern Africa,” said Baker.
The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting biofuel friendly policies internationally. Alliance members represent over 65% of the global production of biofuels from 43 countries. Through the development of new technologies and best practices, the Alliance members are committed to producing renewable fuels with the smallest possible ecological footprint.