Sylvia Westall, PlanetArk 5 Dec 08;
VIENNA - Biofuel crops are not a threat to food security but a potential boon for Africa where some regions could be as successful as Asian palm oil giants, an industry expert said on Thursday.
But Werner Koerbitz, director of the Austrian Biofuels Institute, said the infrastructure and political will were desperately needed.
He said countries particularly along the west African coast, such as Ghana, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast showed great natural potential to become major biofuel producers.
"Those countries could be as rich as Malaysia," he said, referring to the world's second biggest palm-oil producer.
"I see the opportunities there which could be exploited to give people wealth and guarantee a living. The demand for fuel is there."
Biofuels came under the spotlight earlier this year following a spike in commodities prices.
The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report in October the Western world needed to rethink its push for biofuels, which had done more harm pushing up food prices than it had good by reducing greenhouse gases. Some critics say biofuels are responsible for hunger in poorer countries.
But Koerbitz said biofuels could actually help developing countries and that the biggest problem was a lack of professionalism at both an agricultural and political level which would be needed for the countries to become big producers.
He said it was doubtful significant progress along these lines could happen in western Africa over the next 10 years.
"But if those countries do learn how to manage this, the potential is huge."
Koerbitz, whose institute acts as a consultant for companies worldwide, said produce would be most likely to be shipped to Europe for processing unless countries were willing to also build their own biofuel plants.
FLAGSHIP PLANT
There have been more encouraging signs in other parts of Africa, Koerbitz said, with experimental crops of jatropha in Madagascar, a country which has suffered from poor crop management in some areas.
The tough, drought-resistant plant is one of the most promising future biofuel sources and is also being grown in India. It cannot be eaten but can be irrigated using waste water and can survive in soil where food crops would die.
It is not yet ready for widespread use because growers need to see how easily it can be bred and which varieties show the most potential. It also needed to be tested for its use as a biodiesel in vehicles, Koerbitz said.
"It is a 'flagship' non-food biofuel source," Koerbitz said, "These are early stages but tests have been very promising," he said, citing results presented at a recent jatropha conference in Germany.
"And genetic modification could help make the (development) process much faster."
In terms of future biofuel production, Koerbitz sees agricultural heavyweights such as Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland and Bunge dominating, rather than oil majors such as BP going further into a market where they have less experience.
The quality of biofuels will also play a significant role in future production, Koerbitz said.
"There is a very clear trend in new emissions regulations where in order to protect the health of citizens, engines must become more sophisticated."
"As a result, the fuel must become more sophisticated as well."
(Editing by James Jukwey)
