Local Perceptions about the Effects of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) and Castor (Ricinus communis) Plantations on Households in Ghana and Ethiopia

Abstract

Biofuel plantations have been hyped as a means to reinvigorate Africa's rural areas. Yet there is still apprehension about the negative environmental and social impacts of large-scale commercial biofuel production around rising food prices, land grabbing, ecological damage, and disruption of rural livelihoods. Given the extent of Jatropha curcas production in Ghana and Ethiopia and Castor bean (Ricinus communis) in Ethiopia, this paper presents the results of a study that assessed the socio-economic implications of industrial Jatropha plantations on local livelihoods in Ghana, and of industrial Jatropha and Castor plantations on local livelihoods in Ethiopia. This study used primary data collected from 234 households in Ghana and 165 in Ethiopia. The cultivation of Jatropha and Castor has had several important effects on local livelihoods in the study sites, most notably OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2014, 6 7225 decreases in household landholdings due to the arrival of industrial Jatropha or Castor plantations; and the resulting changes these plantations have caused in household socio-economic status, food security, fallow periods, and fodder availability. We consider how a lack of meaningful consultation between local people, their traditional authorities and the biofuel company managers, along with shortcomings in each country's broader land acquisition process and poor land use information, may have contributed to these overall negative effects on local livelihoods. We conclude by suggesting several ways that emerging biofuel industries could be improved from the perspective of local people and their livelihoods.

Global Investment Failures and Transformations: A Review of Hyped Jatropha Spaces

“…Jatropha investment in Ghana generally unfolded transformations as unsatisfactory development outcomes for both investors and local communities. In a study conducted by Timko et al [26], several outcomes were identified in some selected Jatropha investment sites in Ghana. Firstly, an average of 55.5 acres of land utilized by farmers were taken over by investors for large-scale Jatropha production.…”

“…This was driven by the outrageous prices of oil in the international market, a desire to ensure energy security, and the quest to reduce the emissions of harmful gases leading to climate change [1]. According to Openshaw [2], Jatropha was favored by investors because According to Timko et al [26] and Hamenoo [27], outcomes of initial Jatropha investment were negative on local land tenure systems, food production, and livelihoods. The annual output of farmers declined due to their use of parcels of land that were smaller than the ones they had access to before the large-scale Jatropha plantations were established [28].…”

Equity issues in land acquisition: A source of delays in large construction projects in Vietnam

“…This resesearch extents Whiteman and Mamen (2002) and Timko et al (2014) on the perceptions of communities on outcomes by investigating perceptions of both inputs and outcomes. Further, this investigation is signicant because it has not been conducted before in literature.…”

“…Li, Wang, Wuzhati, & Wen, 2016). Further, other negative environmental outcomes that were also reported are destruction of ecological diversity, uncontrolled bushfires, and destruction of water resources (Kusiluka et al, 2011;Obidzinski et al, 2013;Syagga & Olima, 1996;Timko et al, 2014).…”

“…In the sphere of construction projects, the local community is considered an important stakeholder, whose interest related to projects is connected to their direct experience of the potential impacts from these projects (Timko, Amsalu, Acheampong, & Teferi, 2014). While protests about construction projects can be originated by various stakeholders, the most significant issues often stem from the local community (Fu & Gillespie, 2014;Wells-Dang, Tu, & Burke, 2015).…”