Use of Participatory Tools in the Prioritization of Social Impact Subcategories in the Assessment of Clean Solid Biofuel from Encroached Bush in Southern Africa

Contribution from WP11 to SETAC Europe 26th LCA Symposium Background and Purpose: In the social life cycle assessment (S-LCA), selecting impact subcategories is a crucial component of the social life cycle impact assessment (S-LCIA) phase. Projects with limited time and resources often face challenges in including numerous impact subcategories, making the prioritization of the most relevant subcategories essential for conducting meaningful S-LCA and generating relevant results for stakeholders. This study demonstrates the use of participatory approaches for prioritizing impact subcategories in the context of an S-LCA of clean solid biofuels produced from encroacher bushes in Southern Africa. The EU Horizon 2020 SteamBioAfrica project (GA 101036401) intends to produce a scalable and replicable technology platform to support a large-scale transformation of the widespread problem of invasive and encroaching biomass into a sustainable and secure source of bioenergy and biochemicals in Southern Africa. The project also addresses the effects of this novel bioenergy system on other environmental and societal challenges in the region, including climate change impacts, energy insecurity, water shortage, social inclusion, and unemployment. Methods: Participatory tools, including brainstorming sessions, participatory subcategory ranking, and semi-structured interviews, were utilized to engage stakeholders across the entire biomass-based value chain in Southern Africa. Results: This approach facilitated the identification of primary concerns and the definition of priority impact subcategories for each stakeholder category. For example, unemployment was one key concern to prioritize for smallholders, while supplier relationship is one of the most relevant impact subcategories for representatives of commercial farmers (value chain actor stakeholder category). Conclusions: The use of participatory approaches proved valuable in identifying and prioritizing impact subcategories for the S-LCA, ensuring that the assessment of potential social effects is more authentic and relevant to local actors. Moreover, engaging stakeholders enhanced the understanding of the assessed system and its value chain, contributing to other phases of the S-LCA.