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The Jatropha Biofuels Sector in Tanzania 2005-9: Evolution Towards Sustainability?

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  • Adrian Marjolein Caniels
  • Henny Romijn

Abstract

Biofuel production from the tropical plant Jatropha curcas L. has recently attracted a great deal of attention. Some anticipate substantial social and environmental benefits from its cultivation, while at the same time expecting sound profitability for investors. Others are more doubtful, envisaging large trade-offs between the pursuit of social, environmental and economic objectives. The paper explores these issues in Tanzania, a forerunner in the cultivation of Jatropha in Africa. We trace how isolated Jatropha biofuel experiments in the country developed since their inception in early 2005 towards a fully fledged sectoral production and innovation system; and investigate to what extent that system has been capable of developing ánd maintaining sustainable practices and producing sustainable outcomes. The application of evolutionary economic theory allows us to view the ongoing development processes in the sector as a result of evolutionary variation and selection on the one hand, and revolutionary contestation between different coalitions of stakeholders on the other. Both these processes constitute significant engines of change in the sector. While variation and selection is driven predominantly by localised learning, the conflict-driven dynamics are highly globalised. The sector is found to have moved some way towards a full sectoral innovation and production system, but it is impossible to predict whether a viable sector with a strong "triple bottom line" orientation will ultimate emerge, since many issues surrounding the social, environmental and financial sustainability still remain unresolved.

Suggested Citation

  • Adrian Marjolein Caniels & Henny Romijn, 2009. "The Jatropha Biofuels Sector in Tanzania 2005-9: Evolution Towards Sustainability?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 0919, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Nov 2009.
    • Handle: RePEc:egu:wpaper:0919
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    Cited by:

    1. Castro Gonzáles, Nirza Fabiola, 2016. "International experiences with the cultivation of Jatropha curcas for biodiesel production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 1245-1258.
    2. Elisa Portale, 2012. "Socio-Economic Sustainability of Biofuel Production in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from a Jatropha Outgrower Model in Rural Tanzania," CID Working Papers 56, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    3. David Ockwell & Robert Byrne & Joanes Atela & Victoria Chengo & Elsie Onsongo & Jacob Fodio Todd & Victoria Kasprowicz & Adrian Ely, 2021. "Transforming Access to Clean Energy Technologies in the Global South: Learning from Lighting Africa in Kenya," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-24, July.
    4. Anders Hansson & Mathias Fridahl & Simon Haikola & Pius Yanda & Noah Pauline & Edmund Mabhuye, 2020. "Preconditions for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) in sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Tanzania," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 6851-6875, October.
    5. Manning, Stephan & Reinecke, Juliane, 2016. "A modular governance architecture in-the-making: How transnational standard-setters govern sustainability transitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 618-633.
    6. Avinash, A. & Subramaniam, D. & Murugesan, A., 2014. "Bio-diesel—A global scenario," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 517-527.
    7. Michael Brüntrup & Fabian Schwarz & Thomas Absmayr & Jonas Dylla & Franziska Eckhard & Kerstin Remke & Konrad Sternisko, 2018. "Nucleus-outgrower schemes as an alternative to traditional smallholder agriculture in Tanzania – strengths, weaknesses and policy requirements," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(4), pages 807-826, August.
    8. Maja Slingerland & Marc Schut, 2014. "Jatropha Developments in Mozambique: Analysis of Structural Conditions Influencing Niche-Regime Interactions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(11), pages 1-23, October.
    9. Paula Rolffs & David Ockwell & Rob Byrne, 2015. "Beyond technology and finance: pay-as-you-go sustainable energy access and theories of social change," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(12), pages 2609-2627, December.
    10. Hans Rawhouser & Michael Cummings & Scott L. Newbert, 2019. "Social Impact Measurement: Current Approaches and Future Directions for Social Entrepreneurship Research," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(1), pages 82-115, January.
    11. Jha, Pushkar. P. & Bhalla, Ajay, 2018. "Life of a PAI: Mediation by willingness and ability for beneficiary community engagement," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 27-34.
    12. Ahmed, Abubakari & Campion, Benjamin Betey & Gasparatos, Alexandros, 2017. "Biofuel development in Ghana: policies of expansion and drivers of failure in the jatropha sector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 133-149.
    13. Elsie Onsongo & Johan Schot, 2017. "Inclusive Innovation and Rapid Sociotechnical Transitions: The Case of Mobile Money in Kenya," SPRU Working Paper Series 2017-07, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    biofuels; Jatropha; evolutionary theory; sustainability; stakeholder conflict; learning; Tanzania;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

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