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Gender and equity issues in liquid biofuels production: Minimizing the risks to maximize the opportunities





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    Gender and Equity Issues in Liquid Biofuels Production - Minimizing the Risks to Maximize the Opportunities 2008
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    The production of liquid biofuels is rapidly increasing in developing countries, due mainly to the establishment of large-scale biofuel feedstock plantations1. This results in potential socio-economic benefits2, particularly in terms of agricultural employment, as well as risks, which tend to be context-specific. This paper explores the potential gender-differentiated3 risks associated with the large-scale production of first-generation liquid biofuels (see box 1) in developing countries. The ob jective of this study is to engage in an in-depth discussion of some hypothetical risks and identify research and policy strategies to address them, in order to maximize the opportunities offered by biofuels production. A subsequent paper will explore the benefits of small-scale biofuels production for energy generation in rural areas. The potential environmental and socio-economic risks that may arise from the establishment and operation of large-scale plantations for the production of bi ofuels are considered. In addition, some potential risks for food security resulting from an increase in food prices due to the growing use of agricultural crops for biofuels production are discussed. This paper represents a first attempt to go beyond the traditional gender and biofuels debate, which has focused on the gender-differentiated health impacts of household use of solid biofuels. For a comprehensive evaluation of the potential effects of liquid biofuels production on people’s ec onomic and social well-being in developing countries, understanding the genderrelated implications of such production in these countries (particularly in specific socioeconomic and policy contexts) is essential.
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    The Gender and equity implications of land-related investments on land access and labour and income-generating opportunities
    A case study of selected agricultural Investments in LAO PDR
    2013
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    The Gender and Equity Implications of Land-Related Investments on Land access, Labour and Income-Generating Opportunities
    A Case Study of Selected Agricultural Investments in Zambia
    2013
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    In recent years, Zambia has witnessed increased interest from private investors in acquiring land for agriculture. As elsewhere, large-scale land acquisitions are often accompanied with promises of capital investments to build infrastructure, bring new technologies and know-how, create employment, and improve market access, among other benefits. But agricultural investments create risks as well as opportunities, for instance in relation to loss of land for family farmers. While much deba te on ‘land grabbing’ has discussed risks and opportunities in an aggregate way, it is critical to understand the distribution of the costs and benefits created by an investment project. For example agricultural investments create gendered outcomes that are poorly understood. Gender inequalities in Zambia, as seen across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, shape access to land, agricultural assets, inputs, services and rural employment opportunities. These gender inequalities are partially res ponsible for the underperformance of the agricultural sector. Investments in the agriculture sector must therefore account for and challenge these inequalities if they are to deliver their stated benefits.

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