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EU Biofuel policy and the negative environmental influences of 'land grabbing'

Zijlstra, S.F. (2015) EU Biofuel policy and the negative environmental influences of 'land grabbing'.

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Abstract:In recent years, academic researchers have paid much attention to the increase of large scale land acquisition in developing countries, hereafter referred to as ‘land grabbing’, and the side-effects associated with it. The role the European Union plays or will play in the future as cause and solution to these problems is still unclear. European biofuel policy and the concept of ‘land grabbing’, which is commonly associated with biofuel crops, will be analysed in this paper. This study aims to identify the environmental side-effects that are associated with the concept of ‘land grabbing’. The extent to which negative effects of ‘land grabbing’ are present in developing countries with which EU investors are involved is the primary focus. ‘Land grabbing’ is presumed to be partially caused by biofuel policies of the EU and other states that import biofuels. The developing countries that are targeted by ‘economic operators’, from the EU, for land acquisition will be central to the analysis. By using the Land Matrix Global Observatory, land deals for the purpose of biofuel production with European investors will be identified. A literature review and document analysis will then examine the environmental side-effects these land deals have. The results of the analysis reveal that European policy on biofuels and policies of local communities in developing countries have not yet been able to contain the negative impact of ‘land grabbing’. This research paper sheds light on how to amend the existing policies in order to combat further increase in ‘land grabbing’ in developing countries and the associated environmental side-effects. Key words: Biofuels; EU policy; land grabbing; environmental influences; cap on biofuels
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:88 social and public administration
Programme:European Studies BSc (56627)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/66678
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