Grafting our biobased economies on African roots?

Abstract

Sustainable development has become defined as a core demand for innovation over the past decade. With the ensuing step from a fossil-fuel-based to a bio-based economy, the need for biomass production for biofuels and biomaterials has increased dramatically. Although the United States has enough land surface available for domestic production, it is not likely that the necessary biomass to ‘fuel’ Europe can be grown domestically, and therefore, Europe plans several investment initiatives in non-domestic agriculture, including locations in Africa. China, as one of the most important growing economies in the world is also increasingly investing in African agriculture. In Africa, a large percentage of arable land is currently not in use for agriculture. Additionally, the production potential of developing countries near the equator is significantly higher than the production potential of countries in more temperate climates such as most of Europe. The production of biomass for biorenewables has come under increasing criticism due to its supposed threat to the production of food in Africa. Thus, the consequences for developing countries and the delicate natural balance of protected ecosystems are debated. Here we question how differences in Chinese and European worldview and the way these inform the respective value systems affect the current development towards an Africa-based growth of biomass for biofuels and -materials.