World Bank bats for dairy dung energy policy in India

Report states proper policy in this regard could create 1.9 million additional full-time jobs

The global environmental goods and services (EGS) industry has grown 10.5% since 2009 to $858 billion in revenue as of last year, according to a research report by the World Bank.

The report, that looked into the green value chains globally, has also batted for a ‘Dairy Dung-Energy’ policy in India to foster socio-economic development through increased income and bio-gas sterilisation.  It states that a proper policy in this regard could create 1.9 million additional full-time jobs .

While the United States owns a majority share of 38% of EGS industry, Japan makes up for 17%, followed by China at 3% and India 2.5%. It adds that despite the recent economic downturn, employment in EGS-related activities seems to have done well.

The EGS industry now employs more than 1.7 million people and accounts for 2.7% of GDP in the United States and in Europe. Though developed countries have been net exporters of EGS, the report points out that with the growth of exporters like Brazil, China and India, the trade is becoming more balanced.

Citing ‘dairy dung energy policy’ as a social policy that would foster greener supply chains, the report titled “Greening Global Value Chains: Some Implementation Challenges,” states that the full integration of dung into a ‘Dairy Dung-Energy’ policy could foster socio-economic development, providing basic energy needs and helping tackle key dairy quantity and quality bottlenecks in India, through increased income and biogas sterilization.

Due to high energy and nutritional value, dung is used for the production of biogas, electricity and fertilizer. “Cow dung drives a shadow economy of national importance employing, most informally, half the number of workers in the dairy sector. While a buffalo can produce up to 15 litres milk daily, it also produces 30 kg of dung, equivalent to 3 litres of crude oil,” it says.

The report adds that though 4,00,000 jobs might be lost in low-productivity dung cake making, with the right just transition policies in place for those affected – mostly women workers making dung cakes – they could be retrained and re-employed in the production of organic fertilizer from the slurry of the biogas plants.

The global EGS industry was valued at about $776.2 billion in 2009, in terms of revenue, from which it has grown to $858 billion in 2012.