When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, swung through Africa on a week-long tour last month, he eagerly promoted the production of biofuels as an energy and development strategy.

As the leader of a country emerging fast as an important global economic and political force, Mr Lula da Silva was eager to impart some of Brazil’s success in building a viable biofuels industry as a way of cementing diplomatic relations between Brazil and other developing economies.