Big ethanol comes to the dark continent

Biofuel (agrofuel, as it is known in Africa) production in Mozambique and other African countries is being pushed by foreign corporations not to help wean African nations off dependence on oil, but for profit.

Last month, BioEnergy Africa had an initial offering on the London stock exchange, but more than 70 per cent of the company remains privately-owned, by CAMEC, the Central African Mining & Exploration Company. Water and farmland are being diverted on a large scale in Mozambique and other African countries as well as in Brazil, Indonesia and other parts of the world, while fossil fuel consumption continues unabated.

December 2008