Energy gardens for small-scale farmers in Nepal: institutions, species and technology

The greatest potential for deriving energy from plants is the fact that appropriate local species can be grown in different environments all round the world. So it is possible to grow 'Energy Gardens' using a range of plant species to produce different forms of energy. In contrast, fossil fuels need to be transported in bulk from the site of extraction, processed and distributed to the point of use. Using energy gardens, poor farming communities, perhaps living in remote areas, can grow their own fuel. Traditionally this has been wood fuel, but new technologies and innovative ideas are opening the possibility to grow and process biofuels, or combine sanitation with energy production. So, for example, irrigation pumps could be powered by locally produced biofuels, thereby providing important inputs into the agricultural cycle at a time when farmers are often financially constrained.

Plants capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis and store it in in the form of vegetative growth. This growth takes a wide variety of forms from woody to soft tissues, and can be quite complex chemically including sugars, oils and other products. Plants are thus ideal sources of renewable energy. This energy is released through burning wood and other forms of biomass, but more recently, plant products such as vegetable oils and sugars have been used to create biofuels for running internal combustion engines. Indeed the first diesel engine, built by Dr Rudolf Diesel in 1885, included peanut oil in its fuel. The energy garden project will focus on the social science of creating new links across disciplines and exploring how novel technologies can be transferred to communities for energy production.

The second major advantage of deriving power from plants is that the energy is renewable. Concern over greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels has given rise to calls for replacement of non-renewable fossil fuels by biofuels, there by conforming with a basic principle of sustainability in that the use of fuels from renewable sources meets the 'needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. However, the greatly increased use of biofuels that resulted from national and international policies encouraging their use coupled with a sharp rise in the costs of fossil fuels, gave rise to considerable public concern. Biofuels have been implicated in 'food for fuel' controversies, food price increases, loss of access to land through 'land grabbing' and loss of biodiversity through conversion of natural ecosystems to biofuel plantations such as for palm oil. By using local plant species for energy production integrated into food growing these criticisms can be overcome. Firstly, food growth is enhanced by improving energy inputs into the farms. Secondly, no land is lost as the energy plants can be grown in field bunds or as shade. Thirdly, by using a range of local plant species, biodiversity of the farming system is enhanced, the value of local species enhanced, and finally, by choosing the right conversion approaches, energy can be generated minimising environmental and health impacts to local communities. This approach was pioneered by the Hassan Biofuels Park in southern India, and their success has had a major impact on Indian national and state biofuel policy and legislation. Through the partnership, the project will explore the possibilities of transferring the knowledge and approach developed in Hassan to Nepal and other countries.

Dissemination of the outputs is a critical component of the project activities. The innovative approach adopted by the project is to use the international network of botanical gardens that form 'Botanic Gardens Conservation International'. The project will distil the findings into the form of display materials that will be made available to botanic gardens worldwide for promotion of the energy garden concept.

The project aims to find a solution to the controversies surrounding use of biomass and biofuels for energy production by utilising indigenous plant species within the setting of small-scale poor farmers and communities in Nepal using 'Energy Gardens'. This will enhance energy access for poor farmers and communities in Nepal.

Key beneficiaries are:

Poor farmers who will have enhanced energy access and potential for sale of bioenergy crops through use of indigenous species in their farming systems for biomass and biofuel production.

Communities where the poor farmers live through communal processing of bioenergy, using new technologies, derived from biomass grown in both individual farmers and community lands for community use.

The following beneficiaries have been identified:

South-South cooperation with the Hassan Biofuels Project in India that pioneered the energy garden approach and which has had a major influence on both State and National biofuel policies through its innovative solutions to sustainable biofuel energy access for poor farmers. Both the Hassan Biofuels Project and visitors from Nepal will benefit through exchange of information and knowledge which will be used to develop the energy garden concept and so benefit farmers and communities in Nepal. The exchange of information will take place during visits by the Nepali partner team to the Hassan Biofuels Project. The visit will take place during the early stages of the project.

In Nepal, project partners include the NGOs Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB) and Practical Action, both of which are strongly engaged in practical implementation of poverty alleviation projects and can upscale the energy garden concept within Nepal, and in the case of Practical Action, internationally. Both NGOs will be immediate beneficiaries of the project results. Through their implementation projects the poor farmers and communities in Nepal will benefit; and through the international nature of Practical Action the energy garden concept could be upscaled to other countries.

An innovative communication pathway is through the partnership with Botanic Gardens International (BGCI). BGCI represents an international network of botanic gardens with over 700 members in 118 countries. The 700 members will be immediate beneficiaries of the project by direct information exchange. The project will produce a special edition of the Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation International on 'Energy Gardens' using insights from the project presented in an accessible format and language. The BG journal is distributed to the BGCI membership and beyond. BGCI will also produce materials for distribution it is membership that can be used for setting up displays on bioenergy and the 'power of plants'. Botanic gardens represent an excellent way of disseminating information to the general public. The displays will combine all three aspects of sustainability: social, economic and environmental, which are associated with appropriate application of bioenergy. If the botanic gardens network use the display materials then the general public will benefit from the project results in a wide range of countries.