Biofuels in Africa : Opportunities,
Prospects, and Challenges

Biofuels offer new opportunities for
African countries. They can contribute to economic growth,
employment, and rural incomes. They can become an important
export for some countries and provide low-cost fuel for
others. There is also a potentially large demand for
biofuels to meet the rapidly growing need for local fuel.
Abundant natural resources and low-cost labor make producing
biofuel feedstock's a viable alternative to traditional
crops; and the preferential access available to most African
countries to protected markets in industrial countries
provides unique export opportunities. Biofuels also bring
challenges and risks, including potential land-use
conflicts, environmental risks, and heightened concerns
about food security. This book examines the potential of
African countries to produce biofuels for export or domestic
consumption and looks at the policy framework needed. It is
part of the effort by the World Bank's Africa region to
examine critical issues that affect the region and to
recommend policies that effectively address these issues
while providing an enabling environment for the private
sector. The book is intended to inform policy makers and the
larger development community of the global and domestic
market opportunities facing biofuel producers, as well as
the challenges of producing biofuels, in the Africa region.