Background

Near East countries have a dominant role in global energy supply but fuelwood and charcoal are also a major source of energy in rural households. In fact, about 66 percent of the wood in the Near East is used for fuel, compared with a global average of 40 percent. The rapid surge in global oil prices, has also led to increased interest in liquid biofuels for internal combustion engines, such as bioethanol and biodiesel. They are produced from agricultural crops such as: corn, sugar cane, palm oil, rapeseed, soybeans and cassava. The increased consumption of liquid biofuels for transport may also trigger competition for land between food, fodder, fuels and forest sectors. Forests occupy land which could be used for crops that produce liquid biofuels. National policies and programmes on bio-energy contributing to energy security, climate change mitigation, food security, forest and biodiversity conservation, and the domestic supply of industrial round wood, as well as other policies related to land use and conservation, may enter into competition with each other.

The bio-energy market is creating great opportunities for innovations in the traditional use of forests and agriculture products. As soon as new technologies for the conversion of lingo-cellulosic biomass into liquid biofuels and other forms of energy become economically viable and available in the market (the so called “second generation” technologies), wood will become an even greater source of energy. For instance, in Europe, biodiesel is mainly produced from rapeseed, while in South East Asia palm oil is used. Diesel production from other oil-producing plants has also begun, although as yet to a lesser degree, such as Jatropha curcas, Ricinus communis, Moringa spp., Salsola spp. and Jojoba spp. which are being seriously taken as option in some countries of the Near East (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia…).

Among these species, Jatropha generally raised much expectation, especially for its high potential as “diesel Tree”; Moringa is more appreciated for its well-known uses as food source, and Jojoba is also praised for the quality of its oil used in the cosmetics industry. Both of them are excellent plant species in the agroforestry system and arid and semi arid land rehabilitation. These are tree crops that are believed to tolerate dry conditions and marginal lands where food crops may not grow or offer very little productivity. Therefore, the vast and empty marginal lands and important amount of waste water that exist in many countries of the Near East can offer great potential for bioenergy plantations with the above species. This could yield secondary benefits such as restoration of degraded vegetation, valorization of empty lands, carbon sequestration and provision of local environmental services.

The growing enthusiasm on such Oil Trees in many parts of the world has raised so far unanswered questions relating to the ecological and socio-economic impacts of large scale plantations, and economic viability of their product. Seed supply and breeding material are also some aspects of concern to many countries of the Region.

Following on the recommendations of the 18th session of the Near East Forestry Commission, held in February 2008 in Khartoum, Sudan, FAO-RNE is initiating a Regional Expert meeting on Oil Trees by the beginnings of 2009, in order to update information and knowledge about large scale plantation of these plants and allow countries to be able to make better informed political and investment decisions.