Partners
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI is one of 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, an alliance of 64 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations. (Link: http://www.ifpri.org/)
The main task of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), within the project, is to generate a set of global scenarios which illustrate the implications of alternative energy demand patterns and biofuels policies on biomass feedstock usage, and its resulting impacts on global agricultural market prices, as well as the implications for land use. Through this work, the competitive trade-offs that occur between agricultural food and biofuels systems will be illustrated, and the specific implications for Tanzania will be drawn. In order to examine the potential impact of biofuel production growth on country-level and domestic agricultural markets, a partial-equilibrium modeling framework is adopted to capture the interactions between agricultural commodity supply and demand, as well as trade, at both the global and national level. The model used is the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT), which was developed by IFPRI for projecting global food supply, food demand and food security to year 2020 and beyond. By combining a global agricultural sector model with a representation of energy demand and trade in biofuel products, we attempt to provide a complete picture of how both agricultural and energy markets might be affected by alternative growth trajectories for biofuel production (and utilization) globally. A more detailed country-level module for Tanzania will then be developed to give a clearer picture of how global agricultural and energy market impacts can have an impact at the national level, and what implications it has on the distribution of income and consumption within Tanzania.
Wuppertal Institute
Sustainable development requires an integrated approach to policy and science because many of the issues it raises cannot be addressed within a single department or using the tools of individual scientific disciplines. This is where the Wuppertal Institute\\\'s research programme begins - by taking an interdisciplinary approach and working towards systems understanding. Applied sustainability research is the Wuppertal Institute\\\'s stated mission. (Link: http://www.wupperinst.org/)
The objective is to identify trends of biomass consumption patterns in Tanzania at national and regional level and to assess their implications on the potential increase of biofuel production. The rational for this task within the project is that the development of a biofuel strategy needs to consider a varierity of other existing and potential uses of biomass. For example, food and different forms of material and other energy uses are essential means of livelihoods in Tanzania. Thus it is important to analyse the trends in consumption patterns of all biomass uses to identify potential areas of conflict and opportunities for their resolution.
In this context, multiple uses of biomass and cascading, i.e. when biomass is used for material products first and the energy content is recovered from the end-of-life products, are seen as promising options to avoid possible conflicts arising from limited land and biomass resources. For example, cascading systems of wood tend to provide higher environmental and economic benefits than the direct use as fuel. Thus, a special focus of the analysis is put on optimised multiple biomass use and cascading systems.
The first step is to identify existing national patterns of biomass consumption based on the analysis of primary statistics and secondary data sources (including inputs from task 1 and 3). Trends are identified and analysed with respect to competing biomass uses for food, feed, material and energy.
A second step characterises patterns and trends of biomass consumption on regional level with special emphasis in the case-study region and options for multiple use cascading systems.
A third step derives implications of the identified trends for domestic bioenergy and biomaterial production and its potential for the participation in global energy and material markets. This includes the estimations of enabling factors for biofuel export orientation and related benefits (such as an indication of its potential to reduce global CO2 emissions).
The results serve as input for the decision support system and capacity building. They will be published in two summary reports.
Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade (IUW)
The Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade (IUW) is one among several institutes of the Faculty of Economics and Management at the Leibniz University Hannover. The research agenda of this institute mainly includes topics related to the environment, development and trade. Questions about the use of labeling for export goods and its impact on developing countries, about food safety in trade, the competitiveness of countries, or the governance of value chains in agricultural and industrial sectors are examples. Moreover, an emphasis is put on analyzing and assessing environmental, agricultural and trade policies at national, regional and international scales.
The main project contribution of the Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade (IUW) is to develop an analytical framework in order to assess the direct and induced impacts of biofuel chain activities at the village level for domestic and export biofuel value chains. The modelling system will be based on a Village Social Accounting Matrix (VSAM) extended by supplementary accounts for essential natural resources (water, soil, and forest). SAM multiplier analysis gives an initial estimate of induced implications on production, income distribution, consumption, and on the state of natural resources resulting from multiple exogenous changes. The straightforward multiplier model will be complemented by a more comprehensive Computable General Equilibrium model (CGE) also specified at the village level. The village CGE will explain the circular flow of payments and receipts displayed in the village SAM; this also includes the connection to external markets. The village CGE will further illustrate the allocation of scarce resources and imputed costs subject to household specific constraints and observed failures in regional markets. Evaluation of local constraints is central for explaining households’ ability to respond to various kinds of disturbances and innovations respectively.
First, small-scale farmers’ catalysts and barriers to entry into operating domestic and export bioenergy value chains will be assessed. We explore feasible options for alternative biomass production systems in a case-study village. Feasibility in this context means that biomass production systems are well integrated within the existing agro-ecosystem without competing for land and labour currently used to produce basic food products. The “food versus fuel†aspect is considered by analyzing the value chains for edible (e.g. palm oil) and non-edible (e.g. Jatropha) bioenergy feedstock. To facilitate the sustainability criterion, IUW will finally assess the role of certification by identifying shortcomings and strengths of current certification programs, and by developing concepts of how to certify best in Tanzania.
The Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research e.V.
The Leibniz Association of German Research Institutes (WGL) comprises around 80 institutes. The association works predominantly as a partner to universities, business and policy makers in an area of research between basic science and applications on an international level. As laid down in the statutes, it is the mission of the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) to do scientific research on ecosystems in agricultural landscapes and to develop ecologically and economically tenable land use systems.
The ZALF will, apart from the overall project management, especially provide a “Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA)†in the case study region reflecting the trade offs between socio-economic and environmental indicators related to production and side conditions on the basis of identified biomass value chains. ZALF will assess the regional implications for livelihoods, environmental safety as well as regional economy under twofold consideration of the current state and the ex-ante development. Together with the involved stakeholder ZALF will provide regional organizations, policymakers and farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa with tools to identify and implement appropriate adaptation strategies. ZALF applies methods of Sustainability Impact Assessments by using the DPSIR model as well as using the modeling outcomes of the IFPRI analysis. An indicator framework to assess sustainability is to develop in collaboration with WI. A data base to be able to assess the current state as well as most likely impacts of alternative future scenarios will reveal most likely developments in socio-economic, and environmental dimensions. Spatially-explicit effects according to village level per pathway is analytical aim, demonstrating a comprehensive assessment on trade-offos among observed indicators. Recommendations on resulting options
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) is one of 16 Consultative Group in International Agroforestry Research (CGIAR). The Centre’s mission is to generate science-based knowledge about the diverse roles that trees play in agricultural landscapes and to use its research to advance policies and practices that benefit the poor and the environment. Success in achieving this mission will be demonstrated by the increased use of improved trees and tree-based systems, significant gains in the overall productivity of smallholder farming systems, a marked reduction in poverty, and significant improvements in environmental quality.
ICRAF will set up adequate stakeholder groups in the case study region that reflect a balanced mix of individuals and institutions, who participate in biomass value chains. ICRAF will also participative in the identification of pathways of biomass value chains involving all respective chain entities from small-scale farmers to organizations over potentially participating industrial entities / associations. ICRAF’s responsibility includes the coordination of the project in Tanzania and as main task the performance of field experiments (site selection, organization and coordination of all local surveys on primary data) to investigate relevant value chain processes together with researchers from ZALF. Aim is to include the evaluation of the effects of biomass value chains on food security, income generation, biodiversity, water consumption, land use, and barriers to entry for small-scale farmers into the final output (Information System).
Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa
The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) is a non-political organization of the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) of ten countries: Burundi, D. R. Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It aims at increasing the efficiency of agricultural research in the region so as to facilitate economic growth, food security and export competitiveness through productive and sustainable agriculture.
Strengthen the trans-border cooperation by providing guidance and support in linking to key experts and local informants in sub-Saharan regions. Together with ICRAF stakeholder facilitation and carrying out workshops with focus groups to address policy issues with regional focus. Incorporate lessons from the food price crisis (namely: ensuring food security through increased productivity) in scenario analysis. Support of relevant secondary data gathering, the participatory biomass value chain analysis and finally disseminating the Information System in module structure.
Reporting agency
Better-iS is reporting to GIZ BEAF, the Advisory Service on Agricultural Research for Development.
By 2025 there will be some two billion more people on Earth than there are today, the majority of them in developing countries. To feed this extra population, we shall need to produce around 50 percent more food on an area which is no larger, or even smaller than it is today as a result of erosion and climatic change.
The GIZ BEAF project supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), provides valuable help in achieving these goals.
More information can be accessed via: http://www.gtz.de/en/themen/soziale-entwicklung/bildung/1815.htm
