Italian energy giant ENI, a leading producer of fossil fuel emissions, has launched a massive program in six African countries. The objective: to cultivate castor oil, a plant which is then transformed into biofuel.
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Can we produce biofuels sustainably in order to continue our journeys by car or plane without worsening the global warming and without causing environmental damage? ENI says yes. Its agro-energy program strategy which, according to ENI’s communication, should benefit African farmers, is also one of the pillars of the new partnership between Italy and the African continent, launched a few days ago by the far-right Prime Minister of Italy, Georgia Meloni.
In Kenya, thousands of farmers were attracted by ENI’s promise to make money growing castor oil. But according to research by the European NGO Transport and Environment, the company has not even reached a quarter of its production targets for 2023. The results are disappointing.
“ Small farmers did not have any logistical support or sufficient training to master these new crops. And their production was very affected by the drought », Explains Agathe Bounfour, head of the investigation. The multinational claims, on the contrary, that castor oil is very resistant and adapted to arid lands.
In Congo-Brazzaville, the results were even more mediocre. Production there has not even gone beyond the testing stage. In this country, however, ENI relies on large agro-industrial companies.
“ The plants were not adapted to the context of local production. And more generally, there are still many questions in Congo about the activity of these agricultural multinationals, who have established themselves with the support of the Congolese government. There have been cases of land grabbing. Which also raises questions about the benefit of local populations », continues Agathe Bounfour.
Elsewhere in the world, the ENI group already produces biofuels in an industrialized manner – notably palm oil, responsible for large-scale deforestation.