LAJA, Bolivia | A farmer in Bolivia’s highlands has developed a way to turn discarded plastic, old tires and used oil into fuel for his agricultural machinery, offering a small-scale solution as rising fuel costs and diesel shortages threaten farming operations across the country.
Etson Machaca operates a small pyrolysis plant in Ancocala, a community in the municipality of Laja, about 35 kilometers from La Paz. According to Bolivia’s state broadcaster Bolivia TV, the facility produces between 80 and 150 liters of diesel and gasoline daily, depending on the needs of his agricultural business.
Machaca has spent about three years developing the technology to keep his machinery running and support his production of animal feed and forage. He uses the fuel for his own operations rather than selling it commercially.
Pyrolysis involves heating materials in an environment with little or no oxygen, breaking them down into substances that can be processed into fuel. The process has been explored internationally as a way to recover value from certain types of plastic waste, although its environmental and economic benefits depend on the technology, emissions controls and how the resulting fuel is handled.
The project comes as Bolivia faces mounting pressure on its fuel supply. In September, President Rodrigo Paz Pereira’s government announced that diesel would be sold at prices reflecting international import costs, ending the previous subsidy arrangement for the fuel. The government said the policy was intended to improve supply and redirect public spending toward investment and social programs.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported in September that diesel shortages were hampering the harvesting of Bolivia’s 2026 winter cereal crops. Limited foreign exchange reserves have constrained the country’s ability to import fuel, while higher production costs have affected farmers’ planting decisions.
Bolivia’s dependence on imported fuel reflects a longer-running energy challenge. The country previously relied heavily on natural gas exports for foreign currency, but declining hydrocarbon production has increased pressure on its ability to meet domestic fuel demand.
Machaca’s initiative may help reduce his farm’s dependence on commercially supplied fuel, but expanding the approach would require technical evaluation, reliable waste collection and safeguards against harmful emissions. The United Nations Environment Programme has emphasized the need to assess plastic-to-fuel technologies according to local environmental, technical and economic conditions.
Bolivia TV reported that community members linked to the initiative are preparing a proposed law to encourage similar projects in other municipalities. Whether the approach can be scaled up remains uncertain, but the project illustrates how fuel shortages are pushing farmers to explore alternatives to keep agricultural production moving.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
