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The Policy Context of Biofuels: A Case of Non-Governance at the Global Level?

Author

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  • Mairon G. Bastos Lima

    (Mairon G. Bastos Lima is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University Amsterdam.)

  • Joyeeta Gupta

    (Joyeeta Gupta is professor of climate change law and policy at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University Amsterdam and at UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft.)

Abstract

The large-scale production of crop-based biofuels has been one of the fastest and most controversial global changes of recent years. Global biofuel outputs increased six-fold between 2000 and 2010, and a growing number of countries are adopting biofuel promotion policies. Meanwhile, multilateral bodies have been created, and a patchwork of biofuel policies is emerging. This article investigates the global biofuel policy context and analyzes its nature, its institutional architecture, and issues of access and allocation. Our assessment reveals a density of national policies but a paucity of international consensus on norms and rules. We argue that the global biofuel context remains a non-regime and that it has overlooked serious issues of access even as a risky North-South allocation pattern is created. Although biofuel governance is not completely absent, existing international institutions do not take account of the different voices in the debate and leave a large vacuum of unaddressed social and environmental issues. © 2013 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Mairon G. Bastos Lima & Joyeeta Gupta, 2013. "The Policy Context of Biofuels: A Case of Non-Governance at the Global Level?," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 13(2), pages 46-64, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:glenvp:v:13:y:2013:i:2:p:46-64
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    Cited by:

    1. Benedetta Cotta, 0. "What goes around, comes around? Access and allocation problems in Global North–South waste trade," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-15.
    2. Margot Hurlbert, 0. "Access and allocation: rights to water, sanitation and hygiene," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    3. Kevin Grecksch & Carola Klöck, 2020. "Access and allocation in climate change adaptation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 271-286, June.
    4. Schut, Marc & Cunha Soares, Núria & van de Ven, Gerrie & Slingerland, Maja, 2014. "Multi-actor governance of sustainable biofuels in developing countries: The case of Mozambique," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 631-643.
    5. Michelle Scobie, 0. "International aid, trade and investment and access and allocation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-16.
    6. Paola Sakai & Stavros Afionis & Nicola Favretto & Lindsay C. Stringer & Caroline Ward & Marco Sakai & Pedro Henrique Weirich Neto & Carlos Hugo Rocha & Jaime Alberti Gomes & Nátali Maidl de Souza & No, 2020. "Understanding the Implications of Alternative Bioenergy Crops to Support Smallholder Farmers in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-22, March.
    7. Margot Hurlbert, 2020. "Access and allocation: rights to water, sanitation and hygiene," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 339-358, June.
    8. Sarah L. Stattman & Aarti Gupta, 2015. "Negotiating Authority in Global Biofuel Governance: Brazil and the EU in the WTO," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 15(1), pages 41-59, February.
    9. Russo Lopes, Gabriela & Bastos Lima, Mairon G. & Reis, Tiago N.P. dos, 2021. "Maldevelopment revisited: Inclusiveness and social impacts of soy expansion over Brazil’s Cerrado in Matopiba," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    10. Christina-Ioanna Papadopoulou & Efstratios Loizou & Katerina Melfou & Fotios Chatzitheodoridis, 2021. "The Knowledge Based Agricultural Bioeconomy: A Bibliometric Network Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-15, October.
    11. Agni Kalfagianni & Simon Meisch, 2020. "Epistemological and ethical understandings of access and allocation in Earth System Governance: a 10-year review of the literature," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 203-221, June.
    12. Kate J. Neville, 2015. "The Contentious Political Economy of Biofuels," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 15(1), pages 21-40, February.
    13. Benedetta Cotta, 2020. "What goes around, comes around? Access and allocation problems in Global North–South waste trade," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 255-269, June.
    14. Felix Ekardt & Benedikt Jacobs & Jessica Stubenrauch & Beatrice Garske, 2020. "Peatland Governance: The Problem of Depicting in Sustainability Governance, Regulatory Law, and Economic Instruments," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-24, March.
    15. Kevin Grecksch & Carola Klöck, 0. "Access and allocation in climate change adaptation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-16.
    16. Michelle Scobie, 2020. "International aid, trade and investment and access and allocation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 239-254, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    biofuels; global biofuel policy;

    JEL classification:

    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade

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