The changing constellation of power and resistance in the global debate over agrofuels

Leopold, Aaron

doi:10.1080/13511610.2011.563928

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…(Furtado et al 2011) point out that the prominence of the Brazilian industry in the international markets is not due to its natural resources, but rather a consolidated innovation system that began in 1930 and was boosted in the 1970s and 1980 because of the Proálcool Program (Banerjee, 2005;Zapata & Nieuwenhuis, 2009;Leopold, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to the growing need to increase agricultural and industrial productivity, the companies need to develop and implement technologies to enhance the reutilization of waste, to reduce water, energy and material consumption, to reduce CO 2 emission and, at the same time, to preserve the biodiversity surrounding the facilities and cultivated areas, as well as to ensure safe, healthy working conditions (Pires, 2008;Cirani et al 2010;Santos et al 2010;Leopold, 2010;Chandel et al 2010;Gomiero et al 2010;Spetic et al 2012). Figure 3 shows the emerging issues related to the sugar-ethanol industry, highlighted in a research proposed by (Spetic et al 2012), which corroborate the remarks already mentioned.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Eco-innovation in the Brazilian sugar-ethanol industry: a case study

et al. 2015

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This research analyzes the eco-innovation performance of a sugar-ethanol plant located in São Paulo State, Brazil. The focus is on constructs related to the generation of innovation, environmental performance and social aspects. The analysis of the capacity to generate eco-innovations was based on investments in fixed assets. As of the environmental performance dimension, the company's improvements lie in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and an increase in water reuse and energy efficiency. In social construct, improvements in absenteeism and turnover were observed; however, work accident rates increased.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-innovation in the Brazilian sugar-ethanol industry: a case study

et al. 2015

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“…This question has not yet received sufficient attention in the literature. An exception is the account of Aaron Leopold (2010), who asks why biofuels continue to enjoy strong political support in spite of mounting criticism by civil society groups and scientific scepticism. From a neo-Gramscian perspective, the author argues that biofuel promotion is above all economically motivated, since biofuel discourses and politics have been co-opted by hegemonic agro-industrial players.…”

Section: Theoretical Perspectives On New "Energy Frontiers"mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular since the hike in food commodity prices in (Leopold 2010, critics have accused biofuels for taking away land that had been used for cultivating food crops in countries of the global South and for contributing to the rise in food prices, which threatens the food security of the poor (Oxfam 2008: 19-21). Yet, it is not only the social implications of biofuels that are disputed; several investigations have called into question their very environmental and economic rationales.…”

Section: Biofuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Braving the Storm: How are Global Biofuel Policies Sustained Despite Being Contested? An Analysis of the Biofuel Discourses of the EU, Brazil and Mozambique

Widenhorn

2013

SSRN Journal

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Considered as a remedy to multiple problems that our world is facing, biofuels are nowadays promoted on a global scale. Despite this globalised approach, however, biofuels are heavily contested. Not only the social implications of biofuels are disputed and uncertain, particularly in countries of the global South, but also their environmental and economic rationales. Given these huge controversies, policies promoting biofuels would seem difficult to maintain. Yet, support for them has been surprisingly well established on the political agendas. With the aim of understanding this puzzle, this study asks how the dominant approach to biofuels has been sustained on a global level. In order to answer this question, the meanings and assumptions in biofuel discourses are explored through the lens of Maarten Hajer's "argumentative" discourse analysis. Based on the existence of a "partnership for sustainable bioenergy" between the EU, Brazil and Mozambique, the study takes these three locations as case studies. The analysis reveals that various discursive strategies, including a particular problem construction and the use of two main story-lines, have played an important role in ensuring the permanence of the global approach to biofuels. Moreover, while the discourse of critics against biofuels demonstrates that there is room for contestation, the analysis finds that the opponents' discourse largely fails to target the most salient justification for biofuels. A more effective strategy for critics would therefore be to also question the problem constructions underpinning this main justification in the global discourse.

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“…Eventually, however, controversies arose regarding biofuels' performance in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, their possible negative effects on the environment, their ambiguous impact on rural development and, above all, the related use of cropland to produce fuel instead of food [14][15][16][17][18]. Civil society organizations, in particular, were very active in stirring up public debate about biofuel investments [19,20]. One of the most radical stances on biofuels called for a moratorium on these investments until such time as appropriate policies, structures and mechanisms could be put in place to enable poorer populations to benefit directly from biofuel production, storage, processing and transport [21,22].…”

Section: Biofuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biofuels for a Greener Economy? Insights from Jatropha Production in Northeastern Ethiopia

et al. 2014

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Many observers view Jatropha as a miracle plant that grows in harsh environments, halts land degradation and provides seeds for fuel production. This makes it particularly attractive for use in Ethiopia, where poverty levels are high and the degradation of agricultural land is widespread. In this article, we investigate the potentials and limitations of a government-initiated Jatropha project for smallholders in northeastern Ethiopia from a green economy perspective. Data are based on a 2009 household survey and interviews with key informants, as well as on a 2012 follow-up round of interviews with key informants. We conclude that the project has not contributed to a greener economy so far, but has the potential to do so in the future. To maximize Jatropha's potential, interventions must focus mainly on smallholders and pay more attention to the entire biofuel value chain.

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The changing constellation of power and resistance in the global debate over agrofuels

Cited by 9 publications

References 15 publications

Eco-innovation in the Brazilian sugar-ethanol industry: a case study

Eco-innovation in the Brazilian sugar-ethanol industry: a case study

Braving the Storm: How are Global Biofuel Policies Sustained Despite Being Contested? An Analysis of the Biofuel Discourses of the EU, Brazil and Mozambique

Biofuels for a Greener Economy? Insights from Jatropha Production in Northeastern Ethiopia

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