1. Africa’s response to large-scale land acquisitions
Listening to different voices in Africa
Peter Roberntz, WWF Sweden
SIANI expert group on Chinese land investments - Seminar 9th May, 2012

2. WWF & history
Forests & China
Voices on Biofuels
Biofuel Cases
Reflections &
questions

5. Large Scale Land (Biofuel) Investments
in South & East Africa
They
contribute to
development
No, it is land
grabbing

6. Jakten på biobränslen
Hot eller hopp för Östafrika?

7. Forests, illegal logging & China….

8. Chinese investments & trade…
http://www.commercialpressuresonland.org/press/expert-china-hungry-african-resources
January, 2010
Dr George Jambija, from the UDSM Geography department;
“…China has a strategy for Africa. Does Africa or Tanzania
have a strategy for China? Corruption is a serious crime in
China. Why do Chinese investors become corrupt only after
investing in our countries?“
The country is one of Tanzania's top five investors. TIC records indicate
that in 2007 alone, China invested $3 billion in ten African economies, of
which $111 million was invested in Tanzania. In the same year, the total
trade volume between the two countries stood at $290 million, of which
China's exports were $180 million and imports $110 million.

9. Between July 2005 and January 2006, China accounted
for all indigenous hardwood log exports and three-
quarters of sawn wood and raw material.
Levels of legal compliance can also be interpreted in
terms of tax compliance, with no revenue collected for
up to 96% of timber harvesting in southern Tanzania
during mid-2004.
…Kilwa District Council …cautiously estimated that
under-collection of natural forest product royalties at
district level during 2003 and 2004 resulted in up to
USD 58 million lost annually ….
…
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?uNewsID=204290
http://www.illegal-logging.info/approach.php?a_id=71
Tanzania; Forests & illegal logging…

10. Mozambican law prohibits the export of primary logs, or
unprocessed timber from a number of valuable species;
the government hoped that this would force overseas
buyers (among which Chinese companies are significant
players) to invest locally to develop a sustainable industry.
However, the rules are often ignored and licenses
granted for logging and export do not guarantee
legality. Officials in the National Directorate of Lands and
Forests say they lack the resources to enforce the law.
http://www.illegal-logging.info/approach.php?a_id=115
Mozambique; Forests & illegal logging…

11. Mozambique; Forests & illegal logging…
Oct 2007
“…Mozambique has adequate laws to address illegal
logging but the income generated by the illegal logging
has created a system which will not be easily
dismantled…”
US Chargé d'affaires Todd Chapman
http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=07MAPUTO1207

13. Interview, Maputo Nov 2011
• Mozambique is losing out large in tax revenue due to illegal
activities.
• Government increasing taxes per cubic meter for those who
have legal harvesting.
• Mozambique has a great regulatory framework but it is not
implemented!
• Tax system and lack of imposing laws is undermining legal
businesses and the establishment of value chains in the country.
Mr Graeme White, , Dalman company with forest management of 26 000 ha
Miombo concession in Sofala Province, sawmill and furniture manufacturer and
sales.
Forests & illegal logging…

14. http://www.globaltimber.org.uk/mozambique.htm
Mozambique; Forests & illegal logging…

15. Back to biofuels…

16. Tanzania; Voices about biofuel over time…
Tanzania National Biofuel Taskforce (NBTF) Guidelines 2008:
“In order to reduce the anticipated risks and capture the
opportunities it will be necessary to take into consideration issues
of sustainability in tandem with principles of sustainable
development…properly implemented biofuel projects will bring
about a win-win situation to all involved parties.”
…. The potential benefits of biofuels are immense, and they
include among others, the following:…enhancing energy security,
creation of employment, diversification of rural economy, market
for agricultural energy crops, saving of foreign exchange equal to
the value of imports substituted,c ontribution to cleaner
environment, halt deforestation and desertification, facilitating
technology transfer; enhancing food security…. “

17. 2008
“…I see it as a unique opportunity for the African continent …I have
in mind the vast unoccupied land in Tanzania which can feed the
whole of East Africa without necessarily causing a glut if well
utilized…”
Bernadina Kayumbe, The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
“No land is unused so the whole concept of compensation is
flawed compensation for what – the potential the land holds? They
are not aware of what they are letting go of. What the industry is
really doing is redistributing the benefits from the land, centralizing
it, removing the benefits from the local populations and focusing its
potential through a few external investors…”
Anonymous Voice in Tanzania
Tanzania; Voices about biofuel over time…

18. “…many foreign companies are coming to invest on
biofuels…. This is an opportunity in trade once Tanzania
make land use plans for all villages before allocating
land for bioenergy supply crops. That is the only way to
meet requirements for villagers scientifically and find
extra land for the
biofuels production…”
Web site of National Land Use Planning Commission 20 th
of April, 2009
Tanzania; Voices about biofuel over time…

19. Tanzania; Some voices over time…
Village voices 2008
“If Jatropha farming cost less labour and resources than Maize and at the
same time has greater cash than Maize, I will definitely turn my Maize
field into Jatropha, I know if many people do this, there will be a
food shortage in our village but as long we have money we can buy
food somewhere else!”
Mr. Mohamed Ali, Mavuji Village, Kilwa, Tanzania
“…I sometime feel ashamed going to the biofuel office and ask
their help for my people; they have been so good to us and I now
feel that it is too much! They have been involving us in every step
they take in their farm, I just feel that, if they continues like this,
our community will benefit so much from BioShape….”
Mr. Yusuph Mohamed Tangi-Mavuji Village Chairman

20. Mozambique; Legal framework of land aquisition

21. Mozambique; Authority on biofuel investments
Meeting with Josefa Jussar, Head of Environmental Licensing Departent,
National Directorate of EIA, Ministry of Environment, 2010
The following information was a received:
- Process of developing sustainability principles & criteria has not been
very clear.
- The roles and mandate has not been very clear. Not until the end the
National Directorate of Environment Impact Assessments has been
involved.
- Expected responsibility of the National Directorate of Environment
Impact Assessments. However, the transfer process is unclear.
- Regarding maps the Agro-Ecological maps exits, but more detailed maps
are needed. Mapping should be satisfactory prior to land allocation by
the Ministry of Agriculture
- Marginal land & food security is still a unclear area where development
is needed.

22. Some Biofuel Cases…
Tanzania

23. Some Biofuel Cases…
Tanzania

24. Some Biofuel Cases…

26. Some Biofuel Cases…
The Final;
• In 2011. BioShape goes bankrupt
• BioShape is accused of illegal logging
• Community has lost land rights to TIC
Some Biofuel Cases…
Tanzania

27. ”New” Chinese Biofuel investors in Tanzania…??
2012 – Information from WWF staff in Tanzania
A group Chinese investors are looking for land for investment in
Kilwa and Lindi. Already have advanced in their processes.
Furthermore in February 2012, they organized a study tour or
learning trip for Regional and District authorities to China.
WWF Field person in Kilwa claims that the Kilwa District
Technicians already are in the field delineating and mapping
Village Land Use Plans (VLUPs). About 36,000 ha in Mitole, Kikole,
and Miteja villages is earmarked for KADIL CHINESE LTD!
They will be cultivating Sorghum, Maize and Cassava – as raw
material for energy production (Ethanol).

28. Galp Energia began producing biofuels to protect the
environment, comply with environmental specifications
and extend the energy sector’s value chain
búzi
But….
Some Biofuel Cases…Mozambique

29. búzi

30. búzi

31. búzi

32. búzi

33. 0,0
10,0
20,0
30,0
40,0
50,0
60,0
70,0
80,0
90,0
16,2 18,2
76,5
7,9 8,3
80,1
Número
de
projectos
(%)
Área
pretendida
(%)
2010 2009 2008
Número de
projectos
6 6 13
Área
pretendida
38.909 65.906 191.053
Source: CEPAGRI
The decline of biofuel investments…Mozambique

34. Some reflections & questions…
- The illegal logging and timber trade has been largely driven by
the Chinese market.
- The inability of communities to realize the true value of forests
& land is opening up for cheap land aquisition
- Is logging a financial pre requisite behind land acquisitions?
- To what extent are there ”hidden” drivers behind large scale
investment?
- There is a big gap between CSR communication and what is
happening on the ground.

35. Some reflections & questions…
- So far the majority of biofuel investments have had EU origin,
but many of these have been failing and interest has fallen.
- As investments fail, communities are the big loosers
- Are large scale land investments in countries like Tanzania and
Mozambique really a sustainable option?
- Is there a new ”boom” of land investors coming in?
- There is a fundamental difference between supporting large
scale vis-à-vis working with mitigating measures to avoid
negative impact