(Bio)Fueling Injustice? - Europafrica

water allocation to the investors, this happens to the detriment of local communities as
they are facing decreasing water availability. And while some agrofuel crops may grow
without much water– as they may theoretically grow on “degraded lands” –, the World
Bank notes that “because production may be optimized by irrigation, there is a
possibility that these crops will use scarce water resources in the already arid
countries where they are planted.” 309 A recent report written for the European
Commission notes that today’s investments in biofuel production may influence the
development of water demand, and “substantially expanded biofuel production may
impose water related food security challenges in low income countries”. 310
The right to water of local communities is also particularly impacted by agrofuel
projects. Similarly to the right to food, the right to water implies that there should be
enough water available, including for drinking; personal sanitation and household
hygiene, and that is should be physically and economically accessible. 311 Yet, as
discussed above, agrofuel related projects are very demanding in water, potentially
impacting the availability of water. As shown in the example of agrofuel projects in
Kenya’s Tana River region in 4.3, there is already evidence that local communities are
facing decreased water availability due to decreasing water levels of the river or of
groundwater levels. Furthermore, the Kenyan case shows that the available water is
increasingly polluted.
A recent right to water impact assessment of the Addax Bioenergy project conducted
by Waterlex and Bread for All for instance concludes that there are high risks that the
right to water is breached if the deal goes forward as planned (see Box 3). This same
analysis also underlines the impact of the project on the quality of water – another
component of the right to water – which can be severely affected by the introduction of
chemicals and fertilisers necessary to large-scale production, in countries that often do
not have the necessary equipment to manage these devastating effects of industrial
agriculture.
The case studies in chapter 4 show that agrofuel projects directly affect the access to
water of local communities.
BOX 3 AN EXAMPLE OF THE IMPACT OF AGROFUELS ON THE RIGHT TO
WATER: ADDAX BIOENERGY
As mentioned above, the investment of Addax Bioenergy in Sierra Leone also raises
issues of access to natural resources (see below Box 4). One development bank (the
European Investment Bank) refused to support the project due to non-compliance with
its environmental standards, and there are particularly concerns as to its impact on the
right to water.
Waterlex and Bread for All have assessed based on publicly available documents
and direct communications with the company, the extent to which the project complies
with the right to water. 312 While the report acknowledges “the positive action taken by
the company” which “clearly set this project as a positive example for biofuel
production projects in Sierra Leone”, it indicates that “several aspects of the project
present potential risks and exposures which could to complicity, or the suggestion of
complicity, in Human Rights violations during implementation and completion of the
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