An assessment of the impact of land acquisitions for biofuels on local livelihoods' in Zambia.

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dc.contributor.advisorMadhlopa, Amosen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorPetrik, Daniaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-11-05T03:50:41Z
dc.date.available2014-11-05T03:50:41Z
dc.date.issued2014en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractBiofuels are considered a mitigation tool, as an energy alternative to the global conventional oil reliance. Moreover, biofuels are seen as aiding rural development priorities for developing countries by increasing agricultural investment through foreign direct investment. Driven by international blending mandates, large agricultural investments for biofuels have been made in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the biofuels industry in Zambia using the Sustainable Livelihoods theoretical framework in order to investigate economic, social and environmental indicators of resilience and vulnerability for local people in the face of such agri-investments. A desktop study, case studies and interviews were used to assess the impacts. The study found that a lack of strong policy governance and appropriate support for the industry in Zambia is a challenge facing the development of a successful biofuels sector. For rural communities who are dependent on land held under community tenure, the conversion of communal land to commercial agro-fuel crops through land transfers to investors has led to loss of access to land necessary for subsistence and increased competition over natural resources. Biofuel investments based on employing local people through outgrower schemes have had no real economic benefits. When land was directly transferred, it decreased the land available to landholders and had implications for food security, livelihood diversification and welfare. In negotiations over land between investors and local elites, local landholders were excluded from voicing their needs, and impacts related to benefit sharing, conflict and gender disparity were felt. Land demarcation led to loss of access to marginal lands, important for the cultivation of crops by women, and forests - crucial for supplementing livelihoods with forest products such as ifishimu.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationPetrik, D. (2014). <i>An assessment of the impact of land acquisitions for biofuels on local livelihoods' in Zambia</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Mechanical Engineering. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9142en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationPetrik, Dania. <i>"An assessment of the impact of land acquisitions for biofuels on local livelihoods' in Zambia."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9142en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationPetrik, D. 2014. An assessment of the impact of land acquisitions for biofuels on local livelihoods' in Zambia. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Petrik, Dania AB - Biofuels are considered a mitigation tool, as an energy alternative to the global conventional oil reliance. Moreover, biofuels are seen as aiding rural development priorities for developing countries by increasing agricultural investment through foreign direct investment. Driven by international blending mandates, large agricultural investments for biofuels have been made in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the biofuels industry in Zambia using the Sustainable Livelihoods theoretical framework in order to investigate economic, social and environmental indicators of resilience and vulnerability for local people in the face of such agri-investments. A desktop study, case studies and interviews were used to assess the impacts. The study found that a lack of strong policy governance and appropriate support for the industry in Zambia is a challenge facing the development of a successful biofuels sector. For rural communities who are dependent on land held under community tenure, the conversion of communal land to commercial agro-fuel crops through land transfers to investors has led to loss of access to land necessary for subsistence and increased competition over natural resources. Biofuel investments based on employing local people through outgrower schemes have had no real economic benefits. When land was directly transferred, it decreased the land available to landholders and had implications for food security, livelihood diversification and welfare. In negotiations over land between investors and local elites, local landholders were excluded from voicing their needs, and impacts related to benefit sharing, conflict and gender disparity were felt. Land demarcation led to loss of access to marginal lands, important for the cultivation of crops by women, and forests - crucial for supplementing livelihoods with forest products such as ifishimu. DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - An assessment of the impact of land acquisitions for biofuels on local livelihoods' in Zambia TI - An assessment of the impact of land acquisitions for biofuels on local livelihoods' in Zambia UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9142 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/9142
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationPetrik D. An assessment of the impact of land acquisitions for biofuels on local livelihoods' in Zambia. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2014 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9142en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Mechanical Engineeringen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.titleAn assessment of the impact of land acquisitions for biofuels on local livelihoods' in Zambia.en_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMPhilen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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