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Biofuel project threatens Kenyan wetlands

Kenya has approved a controversial biofuel project in an area traditionally prone to food shortages, the Guardian reported on Tuesday. Farmers and fisherman fear turning over 200 square kilometres of the Tana River delta into a sugar cane plantation could destroy their livelihoods.

The proposed development by Mumias Sugar, a locally listed firm, would be "an ecological and social disaster," the Guardian quoted Paul Matiku, from Nature Kenya, as saying.

"It will seriously damage our priceless national assets and will put the livelihoods of the people living in the delta in jeopardy," he said.

Development campaigners say that arable land in Africa should not be used for non-food crops, especially in regions susceptible to food shortages.

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