Investigation by SourceMaterial and Politico, with support from T&E data, reveals Eni's Kenyan biofuels project is struggling to deliver on its promise. The project aims to produce non-edible food crops on poor quality land, but instead, it appears to be relying on imported rapeseed from South Africa.
Eni claimed that this investment would support the decarbonisation of the global transport industry and the livelihoods of up to 200,000 small-scale Kenyan oilseed farmers. However, trade records show that Eni imported significant amounts of rapeseed into its Kenyan subsidiaries, which could account for up to 80% of all exports from Kenya to Italy.
The investigation also found that farmers were encouraged to grow castor beans, only to be abandoned by the middlemen who had recruited them on Eni's behalf. As a result, they were left with a useless, inedible crop which they had planted instead of maize.
According to Valerio Bini, a University of Milan professor who interviewed 50 farmers in Eni's project in May 2025, virtually all had replaced food crops with castor. This is particularly worrying in the context of the current global food crisis, as it highlights the risks of biofuels on global food supplies.
The project's failure to deliver on its promise raises serious doubts over the potential of biofuels as a sustainable alternative. Biofuels are a key part of Eni's business model and the Italian government's strategy to keep the combustion engine alive.
However, experts like Carlo Tritto, fuels expert at T&E, argue that food crop biofuels deliver limited climate benefits and pose land use change risks. The project's reliance on imported rapeseed is particularly worrying, as it undermines the goal of producing non-edible crops grown locally on poor quality land.
The investigation highlights concerns that Eni's Kenyan biofuels project may be more focused on supporting the company's business interests than on achieving its stated goals. This raises questions about the transparency and accountability of the Italian government's climate funding programs.
Furthermore, the project's failure to deliver on its promise highlights the need for greater scrutiny of large-scale biofuel projects. The lack of transparency and accountability in these projects can have serious consequences for local communities and the environment.
In conclusion, the investigation into Eni's Kenyan biofuels project raises serious doubts about the sustainability of this initiative. The reliance on imported rapeseed and the abandonment of local farmers highlight the need for greater scrutiny and accountability in large-scale biofuel projects.
The investigation highlights concerns that the project's reliance on imported rapeseed may undermine its goal of producing non-edible food crops grown locally on poor quality land.
