Jatropha: A promising crop for Africa's biofuel production?

Abstract

Jatropha has often been proposed as a miracle crop for the production of oil, because of the high yields and low requirements in terms of land quality, climate and crop management. A large number of companies have started with jatropha production in Africa which is projected to increase rapidly. Yet, the sector is not fully developed and therefore the economic viability is unclear. Crucial issues for the economic performance are the crop management system, level of inputs and thereby yield and labour requirements, the price of jatropha seeds, and the business model used (e.g. farmer-centred, plantation model). Other factors influencing the sustainability of jatropha production and use are land use conversions and their resulting impacts on GHG emissions, as well as socio-economic impacts which depend largely on the combination of local socio-economic circumstances and on the business model. Plantations have generally larger negative effects on biodiversity and land issues than farmer-centred models, but larger positive effects on employment levels. Farmer-centred models are generally more pro-poor due to technological spillovers and the larger number of farmers involved. Especially when jatropha products are used to increase energy access, local communities can benefit. More research is required to determine optimised agricultural practices, long-term effects on food security, local prosperity and gender issues and technological development of equipment that can use jatropha products. It should be avoided to replace food crops with jatropha to avoid negative impacts on food security.