Multi-level governance, technological intervention, and globalization: the example of biogenetic fuels

摘要

This article examines the intensification of development cooperation in the field of biogenetic fuels, in particular bioethanol, in light of increasing knowledge on the positive and negative impacts of biofuel production and use. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, biofuels made from biomass have become an important alternative nonfossil energy source in the EU, improving the CO₂ balance, ensuring competitiveness and increasing the security of energy supply by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Recent studies have shown that the EU's cultivation capacities are limited and have revealed the negative impact of biofuels on food security, land use and land tenure. This article investigates the case of biofuel production in Senegal, as the champion of the OPEC verte, against the background of the 20/20/20 targets of the European Union and the implementation strategies of France and Sweden. The empirical results of the study lead to the conclusion that the intervention of specific actors and the forecast of new technologies play a crucial role for stabilizing the network in favor of biofuel production and use against the background of increased criticism of the negative impacts of the enhanced production of biofuels. This article aims to theoretically ground this argument by applying the actor-network theory of Bruno Latour to show how the issue of biofuels has become relevant and what this implies for democracy theory and the efficiency of the system of European “governance” in the framework of globalization. The article concludes with a fresh look at international relations and, more specifically, the relations between developed and developing countries.View full textDownload full textKeywordsbiofuels, development cooperation, actor-network theory, governanceRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13511610.2011.563940