Support for biofuels development.

• Author: Ochoa, Gina
• Position: OAS

AS PART OF ITS work in supporting the development and implementation of biofuel policies and programs, on May 19, the OAS Department of Sustainable Development launched a project in Jamaica called, "Technical Assistance for Biofuels Development and Policy Support in Jamaica." This initiative seeks to advance the implementation of biofuels-related policies and to establish a solid legal and regulatory framework that will provide incentives to a vibrant liquid biofuel industry, including bioethanol and biodiesel.

Francisco Burgos, OAS Specialist on Energy and Sustainable Development, explained that the OAS has been helping to implement joint activities in the area of biofuels in countries like the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. He said that "the initiative launched recently seeks to strengthen the Jamaican experience in the area of biofuel production, paying special attention to the social, economic, and environmental aspects of that industry."

The project will help to accelerate the development of the internal market for biofuels and will facilitate the participation of key partners in Jamaica and in the region, including governmental organizations, the private sector, and financial and donor agencies, among others. A biofuels working group, made up of various...