EU biofuel pushes threaten Congo fertile lands, risking food security, investigation finds.

Congo Urges Sustainable Farming Amid Company’s Claim of “Degraded Lands”

Company’s Stated Land Use Strategy

The firm asserts it will develop its projects on what it calls “degraded lands,” suggesting these areas are unused or underutilized. It promotes the idea that transforming such territories can boost crop yields without compromising existing ecosystems.

Urgent Food Security Needs Highlighted by the UN

According to the United Nations, the Democratic Republic of Congo faces a pressing shortage of locally produced food, which threatens both nutrition and economic stability. The UN stresses that enhancing homegrown agriculture is essential for the nation’s long‑term resilience.

Key Points of the UN Report

• Current reliance on imported staples is unsustainable.
• Local farming capacity is underdeveloped due to infrastructure gaps.
• Investment in indigenous agriculture could reduce food imports by up to 30%.
• Improved soil management and community training are vital.

Potential Impact on Local Communities

While the company’s expansion could offer new livelihoods, experts warn that the focus on “degraded lands” must not ignore the country’s critical need for increased domestic production. Balancing industrial growth with sustainable agricultural practices remains a key challenge for policymakers.

Fields Return to Green in Louvakou After Eni Project Collapse

Local Farmers Revive Fallow Lands

After a year of abandonment, farmers in Louvakou—located in the Niari region of southwestern Congo—are reintroducing cultivation to once-protected farms. Drone footage taken over rain‑slicked fields, formerly part of Eni Congo’s initiative, reveals pockets of renewal.

Background of the Eni Agricultural Venture

• Eni Congo, the Italian oil firm, previously supported a large-scale agri‑project in the area.
• The project was overseen by Agri Resources, a Luxembourg‑based enterprise.
• Agri Resources held a concession covering 29,000 hectares, with the goal of growing castor beans for high‑quality bio‑oil aimed at fueling Italy’s renewable energy program.

Why the Project Sued

Joseph Ngoma Koukebene, the chief of the neighboring Kibindouka village, explained that the venture had ceased operations due to unacceptable yields. The dream of large‑scale castor cultivation did not materialize, prompting a halt in the ex‑plantation’s support.

Tomorrow’s Green Horizon

In the present day, the locals are turning the same land back into productive fields, sown with a variety of crops that better suit the region’s climate and soil conditions. This transition reflects a shift away from costly corporate projects toward community‑driven agriculture.

Eni Expands Biofuel Projects in the Republic of Congo

Eni, the Italian oil giant, started pilot experiments in 2022 at Louvakou, one of three sites in the Republic of Congo. The focus was the cultivation of castor oil, a non‑food crop grown on degraded lands to serve as a sustainable agri‑feedstock for biofuels. According to the company, this approach should avoid deforestation and not compete with food production.

Shift to Edible Crops Raises Concerns

Despite the initial plans, many of the castor projects are either paused or still under review. In May this year, Eni moved forward with agri‑feedstock production by utilizing edible crops such as sunflower and soy. This pivot could potentially impact local food security.

• Castor Oil: Targeted for sustainable biofuel use on degraded land.
• Sunflower & Soy: Recent production choices that may affect food availability.
• Environmental Impact: Aims to prevent deforestation and food competition but now faces scrutiny.

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What is an Italian oil company doing in Congo?

Eni’s Ambitious 2030 Bio‑Refinery Target

Capacity Upgrade – The energy group aims to raise its global bio‑refinery output from the current 1.65 million tonnes per year to 5 million tonnes of biofuels and more than 2 million tonnes of Sustainable Aviation Fuels by the year 2030.

Present Feedstock Strategy

• Primary sources: PFAD and POME, by‑products of palm oil processing imported from Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Supplementary feed: Used Cooking Oils.

Expanding the Supply Chain – The “Agri‑Hubs” Initiative

Since 2021 the company has launched agricultural projects across multiple African nations. The goal: diversify feedstocks and boost production.

• Congo
• Kenya
• Mozambique
• Ivory Coast

During a visit to Porto Marghera in June, Stefano Ballista, director of Enilive (a satellite unit of Eni), explained that the agri‑hubs are “focused on cultivating vegetable oils on degraded lands.”

Future Production Ambitions

• Global vegetable oil output target: 700,000 tonnes by 2028.

Case Study – Congo

Original outlook: 20,000 tonnes by 2023 from castor oil, brassica, and safflower; projected 250,000 tonnes by 2030. The reality diverged:

• The castor oil initiative in Louvakou has ceased operations.
• Two projects in the Bouenza and Pool departments remain experimental.
• An agri‑hub opened in Loudima (Bouenza district) at the end of May. The pressing plant is expected to produce 30,000 tonnes of vegetable oils for biorefining in 2025, drawing on 1.1 million tonnes of soy and sunflower crops grown on 15,000 hectares.

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Degraded land and food security

Revitalizing Agricultural Development in Loudima

During the May launch, local farmer Chris Nsimba from Loudima highlighted a shift in crop focus, noting that castor cultivation has been reduced in favor of other varieties.

Strategic Partnership for Bio‑Refining

• In 2021, Eni Congo entered into a 50‑year contract with the Congolese government to advance the bio‑refining agro‑feedstock sector.
• The agreement covers approximately 150,000 hectares of agricultural land.
• Eni aims to achieve 40,000 hectares of cultivated area by 2025 in the Bouenza region.

Progress on Crop Diversification

Luigi Ciarrocchi, director of the Agri‑Feedstock program at Eni, shared his enthusiasm about recent developments:

• He reports that sunflower cultivation has been successfully reintroduced to lands abandoned for decades, yielding impressive results.
• Despite early promise, the application of castor oil remains a subject of ongoing evaluation within the country.

Eni’s Agri-Feedstock Initiative: Transforming Secondary Lands Across Congo

Background

The Agri-Feedstock programme, led by Luigi Ciarrocchi, the director of Eni’s agricultural portfolio, focuses on turning degraded agricultural lands—once left idle after large-scale ventures in the 1970s and 1980s—into productive fields that yield sunflower, soy, and rapeseed.

Certification & Sustainability

Ciarrocchi stresses that all products curated through this supply chain receive European-level certification, guaranteeing compliance with stringent sustainability standards that align with the broader food system.

Contextual Data

• Domestic agricultural output fulfills only 30 % of national demand, leading to a high dependence on imports.
• Since the United Nations reports on national health, 19.6 % of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition.

Economic and Nutritional Impact

Eni’s agri-hub is said to undergird local economies by producing protein‑rich byproducts from oil production—commonly referred to as “cakes.” These materials are repurposed as animal feed, bolstering livestock productivity and thereby enhancing food security within the regional community.

Lobbying for biofuels and traditional cars

EU’s Shift Away from Conventional Biofuels in 2022

In 2022, the European Union intensified its climate agenda by tightening its stance on “first‑generation” biofuels. These fuels, predominantly derived from vegetable oils like palm oil, have long been linked to deforestation and mounting food‑security concerns.

Key Elements of the Redirection

• Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) Revision: The policy update specifically curtails subsidies and incentives for first‑generation biofuels, marking a decisive move toward more sustainable alternatives.
• Electrification Mandate: The EU’s legislative framework now requires the discontinuation of internal‑combustion vehicles by 2035, pushing the market toward electric vehicles.
• Air Transportation Exception: Recognizing the unique demands of aviation, the directive still allows “sustainable” biofuels to power aircraft where electric options aren’t viable.

Industry Pushback: Eni’s Position

Energy giant Eni, alongside a coalition of stakeholders, has begun lobbying the European Commission to carve an exception for traditional combustion engines. Their argument centers on:

• Justification of “zero‑emission” status for vehicles using biofuels, given the CO2 absorbed by the crops that produce these fuels.
• Claim that the net carbon balance remains neutral once the life‑cycle emissions are considered.

This stance highlights the tension between strict regulatory goals and the practical realities of transitioning to truly sustainable mobility.

An Eni Biorefinery Revolutionizes Fuel Production in Italy

The newly‑opened Eni biorefinery in the coastal city of Gela is reshaping the future of transportation fuel in Europe. During a high‑profile event held at Eni headquarters in Rome, senior FuelsEurope executive Emanuela Sardellitti announced a joint effort between vehicle manufacturers and fuel producers to turn traditional internal‑combustion vehicles into zero‑emission travel options by 2035.

Mission Statement: From Combustion to Zero‑Emission

“By combining automotive and fuel expertise, we aim to demonstrate that cars currently banned under EU CO₂ standards can become zero‑emission vehicles with renewable fuels,” Sardellitti explained. Her vision reflects a broader strategy endorsed by the Italian government and supported within the Brussels policy arena.

The “Mattei Plan for Africa”

Named after Eni’s founder Enrico Mattei, the Mattei Plan is a large‑scale development initiative focused on fostering agricultural production across North and West Africa. During the Rome event, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, highlighted the project’s dual benefit:

• It boosts African agricultural output.
• It supplies Europe with renewable fuel feedstock.

Fratin emphasized that deployment of the biorefinery in Africa would also strengthen Italy’s own energy security and stimulate continental trade.

Perceptions on the Ground in Loudima

Farmers in northern French Lorrain’s (Loudima) region have mixed feelings about large‑scale agri‑projects like Eni’s proposed hub:

• They appreciate opportunities for regional development.
• They worry that many crops will be exported for international markets rather than benefiting local communities.

“Our residents should benefit from these projects, yet the revenue largely serves foreign demand,” expressed Nsimba, a local advocate. This concern points to the need for clear plans ensuring positive local impact.

Support from the Pulitzer Center

Funding from the Pulitzer Center Rainforest Reporting Grant, led by Marien Nzikou‑Massala, underpins the research driving these initiatives. The center’s grant has enabled in‑depth examination of environmental and socio‑economic implications in African agriculture.

Takeaway

The Eni biorefinery in Gela signals a forward‑looking partnership that reimagines vehicle fuel systems. By aligning EU environmental ambitions with Africa’s agricultural potential, the project seeks to create both clean energy on the road and sustainable livelihoods across the continent.