EU energy policy could push world's poor 'further into poverty'

EU energy policies could cause evictions and push some of the world's poorest people further into poverty, according to a new report by the international anti-poverty agency ActionAid.

The report, 'Fuelling evictions – community cost of EU biofuels boom', focuses on the Dakatcha woodlands in Kenya's coast region, whose 20,000 population, it says, face eviction from their homes and land to make way for a plantation by an Italian biofuel company.

Following protests by the local community, the Kenyan government initially put the project on hold.

But the company has re-submitted a proposal for pilot project of up to 10,000 hectares, which if successful, could increase to 50,000 hectares.

The issue has sparked anger among both MEPs and NGOs, with David Barissa, ActionAid Kenya's biofuels expert, saying, "The case is one of many across Africa, with increased demand for biofuels because of the EU targets attracting companies keen to cash in".

"But the communities are not being consulted or compensated, meaning that these so-called green policies are having huge impacts for poor people around the world".

"EU leaders have got the policy wrong. Under no circumstances should communities be evicted to grow fuels to meet the EU's energy needs."

"More than 10 million Kenyans go hungry on a daily basis – what we need is investment in agriculture, not biofuels, so the community can grow their way out of poverty".

"The Dakatcha Woodlands are home to 20,000 people – they have lived in the forest all their lives, they have no other home".

"Even the amount that the company is paying for the land is very little. They are paying €2 per hectare per year for a 33 year lease. Ordinarily if I were to go and try to rent some land I would expect to pay €200-300 per hectare per year".

His comments were echoed by Laura Sullivan, of ActionAid International, who said, "It is not about this biofuels company. It is about the renewable energy directive being a driver for land grabbing."

"It's not just happening in Kenya. All over Africa there is a great need for land for biofuel production to meet the EU targets."

At a recent hearing on the issue in parliament, German MEP Birgit Schnieber-Jastram also voiced concern, saying the case shows problems with "coherence" in development issues when resources are used for renewable energy.

The deputy, a member of parliament's development committee, said biofuels expansion should not be at the expense of developing countries.

"We should look at all these cases and monitor if biofuels are being used in a sustainable way," said the EPP member.