Support to countries

Africa

• FAO has supported Congo Brazzaville in major policy orientation and preparing an action plan related to sustainable bioenergy development.
• In Malawi, through FAO’s Technical Cooperation Program Facility beginning in early 2013, the BEFS Approach is being applied to develop a Bioenergy and Food Security Roadmap outlining specific actions, timeframe, and resources to reach development objectives.
• Using the approach developed by the BEFS Project, FAO has been working in Sierra Leone since 2010 to foster institutional dialogue on bioenergy and food security. In particular, a BEFS Working Group was  established and draft Guidelines for Sustainable Bioenergy Development were prepared.
• In order to inform the development of a sustainable bioenergy policy in Tanzania, the BEFS analysis was conducted in 2008-2012. The analysis addressed multiple dimensions involved in bioenergy development, ranging from the physical and technical to the socio-economic.
• In an effort to support the development of a regional bioenergy strategy, the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) and the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy organized the ECOWAS Regional Bioenergy Forum held in Bamako, Mali, on 19-21 March 2012.
• In 2012, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and FAO organized the BEFS Capacity Development Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Asia

• In Indonesia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, FAO is piloting the 24 sustainability indicators for bioenergy developed by the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP).
• In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, FAO is providing financial and technical support to the Energy and Management Conservation Office (EMCO) of Khon Kaen University (web site in Thai) to develop an energy needs assessment toolkit and guidelines for implementation of gender-sensitive, community-scale, integrated food and energy systems for rural communities. This work is a component of EMCO’s ‘Energy Self-Sufficiency Village’ and supported by the Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP) Mekong initiative.
• In Thailand, the BEFS analysis was conducted in 2008-2010. The analysis addressed multiple dimensions involved in bioenergy development, ranging from the physical and technical to the socio-economic.
• In South Asia, in 2011, FAO organized national-level capacity building exercises on the BEFS analytical framework and conducted preliminary assessments of bioenergy development in Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
• FAO is launching a new regional programme on bioenergy and food security to assist the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat and ASEAN Member States ensure that bioenergy contributes to more effective energy services with minimal or no impact on food security and the environment.
• In the sub-region of Greater Mekong, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, FAO organized two sub-regional forums on bioenergy and food security and on short bioenergy supply chains.
• FAO is joining other UN partners to establish ‘UN-Energy: Asia-Pacific’. This regional group will work to coordinate more effective support to countries on a range of issues, including energy access in rural areas and energy efficiency in agriculture and other sectors.

Latin America

• In Argentina, a three year project under FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme has been developed to support the country’s efforts to promote the production of biomass-energy at local, provincial and national levels.
• In Bolivia a bioenergy and food security project under FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme is being prepared to assist the country assess the potential for producing energy from woody biomass and residues.
• In Colombia, FAO is piloting the 24 sustainability indicators for bioenergy developed by the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP), in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
• In Peru, the BEFS analysis was conducted in 2008-2010. The analysis addressed multiple dimentions involved in bioenergy development, ranging from physical and technical to socio-economic. FAO played a key role in strengthening the institutional and cross sectoral dialogue in the country in 2008-2012. In particular, BEFS facilitated the creation of a Multisectorial Commission to support an effective communication across the agricultural, energy and industrial sectors and a more coordinated approach to bioenergy development in the country.
• In collaboration with the Federal University in Viçosa Brazil, the Regional Office has developed software, Biosoft, to carry out economic and social evaluations for the development of vegetable oil and biodiesel projects. Biosoft training events have been held in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Central America; others are planned for Peru and Bolivia.
• The FAO Regional Office has established a network of 12 national focal points to provide updates on the status of bioenergy in their country. The information is used to analyze the national situation and the facts regional bioenergy. Focal points provide valuable information on gaps and needs energy, which enabled the Regional Office to organize special activities and prepare projects based on the needs of each country.
• In coordination with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Regional Office has commissioned a study to prepare a biogas manual. The Regional Office has also organized a series of international seminars and expos on bioenergy policies, food security and development.