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Bio-fuels were hailed as green solution to the energy and climate change problems. Yet, there is a debate concerning whether Bio-fuels are the right answer to these problems. Proponents posit that bio-fuels development brings rural development, employment opportunities, energy security, reduction of GHG emission, environmental conservation, and foreign exchange earnings. On the other hand, opponents claim that bio-fuels increase competition over cropland, increase price of staple foods, disturb bio-diversity, compete for water and land resources, and endanger wildlife. Opponents even go further and state that the current bio-fuel policies are neither a solution to the climate crisis nor to the oil crisis, and instead are contributing to a third: the food crisis. Amidst the efforts to use bio-fuels as substitutes for traditional ones, there are also some constraints, emerging issues and conflicting interests that pose challenges for the successful promotion of bio-fuels through research and development. This book is meant to examine and scrutinize the development of bio-fuel projects in Ethiopia vis-à-vis livelihoods, conflicts, co-benefits, and policies and the policy environment
About the author
Yordanos Seifu Estifanos, a graduate from the Institute of Population Studies of Addis Ababa University, has worked as consultant for Ethiopian Economics Association. He also earned BA degree in Economics from Jimma University and currently is researcher in areas of Population, Environment & Development; Migration; Youth; and Economic Demography.
