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First steps for taking stock of Africa’s biocarbon

How can African countries turn their agricultural and forest lands into a carbon asset? On September 10 and 11, the World Agroforestry Centre convened 30 scientists from the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) region, and the rest of Africa, to discuss the scientific evidence for Africa’s biocarbon. The workshop was organized in partnership with the COMESA Africa Biocarbon Initiative, and aimed to assess current evidence and research gaps for climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture and forests. The scientists also proposed next steps for Africa to benefit from its biocarbon resources, via global carbon markets.

Studies were done in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda, to assess on the status of climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture and forests. The workshop provided a forum for African experts to provide feedback on those studies. Overall, the studies found that there is evidence of climate change in all of the countries, and that all the countries are experiencing an impact on the agricultural sector and rural economies. However, quantitative data on standing forests and carbon stocks in these countries is in short supply, as is data on  land use change over time.  The scientists suggested that these countries are facing challenges in attracting more carbon mitigation projects due to the lack of reliable data to present to the government, inadequate technology and skills, and insufficient access to finances.

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Making Sub-Saharan African Forests Work for People and Nature

Forests in Sub-saharan Africa are crucial to the well-being of hundreds of thousands of people who rely on their services for daily support. They are also vital carbon sinks and biodiversity zones, and must therefore be a priority to the international community as it strategizes about climate change and other global challenges. How can we make sub-Saharan African forests work for people and nature? This question is at the heart of a new policy document launched at the World Agroforestry Congress on Wednesday.

“Making sub-Saharan African Forests Work for People and Nature”(PDF) was developed jointly by the Special Project on World Forests, Society and Environment (WFSE) of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Its key messages can help guide Africa forward in harnessing its rich natural resources for economic development and participation in global markets and mechanisms. Read more on the World Congress of Agroforestry blog.

Paper – Biofuel Plantations on Forested Lands: Double Jeopardy for Biodiversity and Climate

BIOFUEL PLANTATIONS ON TROPICAL FORESTLANDS ARE BAD FOR THE CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY, STUDY FINDS

Danielsen et al. Biofuel Plantations on Forested Lands: Double Jeopardy for Biodiversity and Climate. Conservation Biology, 2008; DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01096.x

WASHINGTON DC, December 1, 2008 — Keeping tropical rain forests intact is a better way to combat climate change than replacing them with biofuel plantations, a study in the journal Conservation Biology finds.

The study reveals that it would take at least 75 years for the carbon emissions saved through the use of biofuels to compensate for the carbon lost through forest conversion. And if the original habitat was carbon-rich peatland, the carbon balance would take more than 600 years.  On the other hand, planting biofuels on degraded Imperata grasslands instead of tropical rain forests would lead to a net removal of carbon in 10 years, the authors found.

The study is the most comprehensive analysis of the impact of oil palm plantations in tropical forests on climate and biodiversity. It was undertaken by an international research team of botanists, ecologists and engineers from seven nations. (more…)

FAO: biofuels could help the poor, with right policy framework

Biofuel policies and subsidies should be urgently reviewed in order to preserve the goal of world food security, protect poor farmers, promote broad-based rural development and ensure environmental sustainability, FAO said today in a new edition of its annual flagship publication The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2008.

Oil Palm Plantations Are No Substitute For Tropical Rainforests, New Study Shows

The continued expansion of oil palm plantations will worsen the dual environmental crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, unless rainforests are better protected, warn scientists in the most comprehensive review of the subject to date. The review, published September 15 in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, singles out deforestation associated with plantation development as by far the biggest ecological impact, but finds that the links between the two are often much more complex than portrayed in the popular press. Co-author Matt Struebig, from Queen Mary, University of London, explains: "Most land-cover statistics do not allow us to distinguish where oil palm has actually driven forest clearance. Oil palm certainly has directly replaced tropical forest in some areas, but oil palm companies also often have close links with timber or paper pulp companies, giving additional motives for deforestation." Click to view the journal article.