[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Biofuels: A critical workshop in Durban, Monday 5 March, Diakonia Centre

[Patrick Bond]

Timberwatch, African Centre for Biosafety, the Centre for Civil Society 
and GRAIN invite you to:

A CIVIL SOCIETY WORKSHOP TO CRITICALLY ASSESS & RESPOND TO THE ‘SA 
BIOFUELS STRATEGY’

Please join us to debate the issues relating to biofuels, and to 
critically assess and respond to the
South African Biofuels Industrial Strategy published by the DME at :

Venue: Diakonia Centre, 20 Diakonia Avenue, Durban
Date: Monday 5th March 2007
Time: 9 am – 5 pm

Draft Programme
9h00 Introduction to biofuels – how are these made, different approaches to
production with an emphasis on integrated rural development approaches
9h40 Making biofuels - demonstration or visual presentation
10h00 The Asian experience – the pitfalls of large scale commercial 
production
10h40 Tea
11h00 The national biofuels industrial strategy –summary & key issues, 
the process,
certification, where do biofuels fit in the SA energy picture
11h40 Questions & Discussion
12h30 Lunch
13h30 Panel presentations & discussion on the global context influencing 
the biofuels
agenda:
- Industrial monoculture
- Climate change & carbon credits
- Multinational biotechnology & chemical agendas
14h30 – 16h30 Workshop
16h30 Wrap up & way forward



Background
Given the increasing cost of oil and concern over climate change, there 
has been a growing global interest
in biofuels, which have far less pollutants than fossil fuels when 
burnt. Oil hungry economies in the north
are increasingly seeking land and crops for producing biofuels to both 
maintain their energy intensity and
reduce their carbon emissions.
In 2005 the South African cabinet appointed a Biofuels Task Team 
(comprising national departments and
state entities) to develop an industrial strategy for biofuels targeted 
at creating jobs in the energy crops and
biofuels value chain. A draft strategy was released for public comment 
in November 2006. The Draft
Strategy proposes a 4,5% biofuels industry development in South Africa. 
The strategy identifies maize and
sugar (Ethanol), as well as Soya bean and sunflower (Biodiesel) as the 
key crops to deliver biofuels, as well
as suggesting research to develop other crop varieties which will 
further increase the country's production
levels. Comments on the biofuel strategy are currently due on the 10th 
March 2007.
Although touted as a ‘green’ fuel there are a number of issues relating 
to biofuels that should be debated by
South Africans. These include:
- the impact on the price of staple foods as wealthy nations compete 
with the poor for grain supplies
- although the strategy emphasises job creation, mass biofuel production 
is likely to increase the
acreage of crops grown with industrial agricultural methods, seriously 
impacting on both natural and
sustainably cultivated environments.
- further multinational control over local land & agriculture
- introduction of genetically modified & other invasive species into the 
environment
- the role biofuels could play in poverty alleviation & the reduction of 
energy poverty
There is insufficient information and public debate concerning the 
possible positive and negative
consequences of engaging in biofuel production. The DME is currently 
holding stakeholder consultation
processes, however, there has been little notice of this process or any 
attempt to build capacity on this
issue in potentially impacted communities. Vulnerable communities and 
small and medium scale farmers
have had little opportunity to discuss and formulate viewpoints on the 
biofuel agenda with regards to land
rights, industrial agriculture, implications for food security and 
access, and environmental degradation.
Purpose of this workshop
The African Centre for Biosafety, together with the Centre for Civil 
Society and Timberwatch invite civil
society, academic, rural community and government representatives 
working in areas potentially affected
by biofuel production for the purpose of:
1. sharing information on what biofuels are, how they are made and 
appropriate and
inappropriate source materials
2. identifying and exposing important biofuels issues and players
3. providing a space within which we can discuss and formulate 
strategies to protect farmers,
consumers and the environment from unsustainable biofuel production.
Please confirm your attendance & requirements by contacting Jenny 
Duvenage on
email: timberwatch at iafrica.com and tel: 031 207 1356
Support for travel & accommodation for rural participants is available 
on request where necessary.
For more information please contact Vanessa Black on 082 472 8844 or 
black at ispace.co.za or
Mariam Mayet at mariammayet at mweb.co.za