Assessment of benefits and risks of growing Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) as a biofuel crop in sub-Saharan Africa: a contribution to agronomic and socio-economic policies

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keotshephile Kashe ◽  
Donald L. Kgathi ◽  
Mike Murray-Hudson ◽  
Kelebogile B. Mfundisi
Keyword(s):  
Jatropha Curcas ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Biofuel Crop ◽  
Sub Saharan

scholarly journals Towards Pragmatic Economic Policies: Economic Transformation and Industrialization for Revival of Zimbabwe in the New Dispensation Era

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 75-81
Author(s):  
Charles Mazhazhate ◽  
Tapiwa C Mujakachi ◽  
Shakerod Munuhwa
Keyword(s):  
Economic History ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Consumer Prices ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Government ◽  
Economic Institute

Whilst literature has many monetary and economic policies that were enacted before and after the dawn of the New Dispensation in Zimbabwe the country still faces a downward trend in terms of economic recovery. This study reviews the various policies put in place by the government and their impact on socio-economic development of Zimbabwe. A review of Zimbabwe’s economic history shows that the country dropped from being one of the best economies in Sub-Saharan Africa and now ailing and characterised by hyperinflation, agricultural challenges, corruption, very high tax regime, huge domestic and foreign debts, increase in consumer prices and being a chief net importer of most goods or services. The study was underpinned by a case study survey from Singapore’s revival with both qualitative and quantitative instruments used. The study found out that even though the land reform had an impact on economic performance, corruption, party-power politics and absence of an economic institute eroded any necessary contribution to economic transformation and industrialization in Zimbabwe. The study also revealed that the bilateral and multi-lateral agreements that were enacted in the dawn of the new dispensation have not yielded the desired economic revival transformations. The study recommended establishment of an economic institute to direct policy as well as removal of unethical practices in both public and private sectors so as to ensure financial and economic discipline.

scholarly journals Determinants of FDI in Sub-Saharan African Countries: A Review of the Evidence

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lateef Ademola Olatunji ◽  
Muhammad Sadiq Shahid
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Direct Investment ◽  
Direct Investment ◽  
Political Instability ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Economic Management ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan

<p>Although it may seem natural to argue that foreign direct investment (FDI) can convey great advantages to host countries. This paper finds that FDI flows to Sub-Saharan Africa economies unaffected by conflict and political instability exceed those with crisis. For FDI to strive in these countries, it must introduce sound economic policies and make the country investor friendly. There must be political stability, sound economic management and well developed infrastructure.</p>

scholarly journals Jatropha Curcas Development as Intervention Potential to Tackling Land, Energy and Food Challenges of Rural Communities in Dryland Sub-Saharan Africa

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Joshua Ogunwole ◽  
Gunnar Kirchhof ◽  
Birhanu Z. Birhanu ◽  
Sjoerd Duiker ◽  
Luiz F. Pires
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Jatropha Curcas ◽  
Energy Requirement ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Global population growth is placing increasing pressures on land for food and feed production as well as energy security. In particular in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), these issues require urgent attention. This is clearly stated in The United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development emphasizing the importance of sustainable use of land resources to increase food productivity and energy requirement. SSA lags behind most regions of the world in household food security and access to energy. The rural agriculture-dependent communities of SSA are the hardest hit by food and energy scarcity and the impact is felt most by communities in the dryland farming areas. In terms of energy supply appropriate measures and interventions are required to address this challenge. Jatropha curcas L. oil fast tracked itself from obscurity to prominence. Its main advantage is the high content of methyl ester (or bio-diesel). It conforms to EN 14214 specifications, exhibiting emission reduction potential and qualifying as a lucrative bio-diesel alternative to fossil diesel. This paper proposes a focus on Jatropha technology as a holistic approach to tackling the land, energy and food degradation challenges in unison for dry-land SSA. The new Jatropha strategy would be innovative and environmentally friendly soil resource recapitalization and supply feed stock for rural energy generation while fulfilling the criteria of delivering other benefits, such as addressing land use conflict for food and energy production

Agricultural groundwater use in sub-Saharan Africa: What do we know and where should we go?

Water Policy ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 613-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Giordano
Keyword(s):  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Physical Geography ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Groundwater Use ◽  
Development Plans ◽  
African Context ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Traditional Approaches

Relatively little is known about agricultural groundwater use and the agricultural groundwater economy of sub-Saharan Africa. However, available evidence suggests that the region's groundwater resources are substantial and greater in per capita terms than in some of the worlds' largest agricultural groundwater users including India and China. Nonetheless, calculations presented here also indicate that the direct contribution of groundwater to sub-Saharan Africa's agricultural economy is small, both in absolute and relative terms. Plausible explanations for low usage include physical geography, economics and economic policies, and politics. In addition to these real factors, incomplete information almost certainly contributes to an underestimation of agricultural groundwater use. Further, it is likely that “traditional” approaches to groundwater valuation inherently miss some of the key groundwater functions in the sub-Saharan African context, in particular as they relate to livestock production and rainfall variability. While this paper supplies a baseline of information in some respects, much additional research is needed to improve our basic understanding of sub-Saharan Africa's agricultural groundwater use and importance, not only to help researchers and policy makers appreciate the value of the region's groundwater resources but also to provide a meaningful knowledge base on which development plans can be built. That said, the ultimate point of applied research should be to understand both where additional development in sub-Saharan Africa is possible and, equally important, where and why it is not.

scholarly journals Opposing Observations and the Political-Economy of Malaria Vulnerability: A Community-Based Study in Bududa, Uganda

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly F. Austin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Over Time

Malaria is a parasitic infection that remains a leading threat to health and development in many communities, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Bududa, Uganda, malaria represents a key threat to health and well-being. However, whether or not malaria rates are improving in the district over time represents a conundrum. By using principles of structural fieldwork and drawing on multiple data sources that include the more- and less- powerful, opposing observations emerge, where community members perceive marked increases in malaria rates over time, while official district-level data depict the opposite. World-systems analysis illuminates the reasons behind this discrepancy, along with the factors that community members use to explain the rise in malaria suffering, including environmental changes and decreased healthcare access. Overall, this research demonstrates how global economic policies and structures create unequal health impacts, placing those in Bududa at disproportionate and elevated vulnerability to malaria.

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