Earth Equity News

Tanzania Suspends Biofuel Projects. By Mike Mande, The East African, October 5, 2009. "Tanzania has suspended investments worth millions of dollars after a storm of protest over the eviction of farmers to make way for biofuels. The government has also halted allocation of huge chunks of land to biofuel investors. Under fire from international and local environmentalists, the government said it will stop further acquisition of land by biofuel investors pending clear procedures and policies on such investments... Fear of food shortages and pressure from environmentalists prompted the government to suspend the allocation of thousands of hectares of arable land and eviction of rice farmers over biofuel projects... The decision to halt biofuel investments is likely to have a knock-on effect as the government has already spent $3.1 million secured as a grant from Sweden and Norway to strengthen policy, legal, regulatory and institutional framework to support a sustainable biofuel industry in Tanzania."