JATROPHA CURCAS: BIOFUEL
In the early 2000s, there was a huge buzz around Jatropha curcas as the hot new form of biofuel. Unfortunately, if you mix a lack of research and information with overly zealous government leaders and a continual disrespect for rural farmers, you create a disaster.
CULTIVATION
Jatropha curcas is harvested for its oil-rich seeds.
Seeds are pressed to extract an oil that can be used as biofuel.
FOOD VS. FUEL
“...times are hard. Food prices are too high. My family are angry with me for planting jatropha and have told me I must use the fields to grow food crops again so that we won’t go hungry...” (1)
Sam Dube, subsistence farmer, Swaziland, 2009
“Jatropha was said to be resistant to drought and pests and able to grow on land that was unsuitable for food production.” (2)
Researchers at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) found that “jatropha could grow on marginal land...[but] jatropha would only produce high yields if grown in good soil in areas with good irrigation.” (1)
The marginal land taken over for jatropha production, is “often used by women, and is critical to their livelihood as a place to grow food and subsistence crops, gather fuel, use for grazing or even as a source of medicinal herbs.” (3)
DISPLACEMENT
“When the [biofuel] company came, they made a promise; if you want to work with us, you have to give up your land and you can work on the plantation... and now... they reduced the people on the plantation and I lost my job.” (3)
Kwame Sarpong (alias), farmer, West Africa, 2009
“I lost 5 acres of my cultivable land. The forest officials came in July 2007 and took away my land for jatropha plantations...”
(4)
Bairag Singh,
subsistence farmer, India, 2009
“Once the Jatropha curcas started being grown, my family’s children and animals have been kept off the land... My family has lived in the area for about 200 years. My father, grandfather and ancestors are all buried here...” (5)
Henzanani Merakini, Dakatcha, Kenya, 2011
Read more about Jatropha Curcas below:
SOURCES
Burley, Helen; Griffiths, Hannah. “Jatropha: wonder crop? Experience from Swaziland” Friends of the Earth. 2009
Milmo, Cahal, and Andrew Wasley. “Seeds of Discontent: the 'Miracle' Crop That Has Failed to Deliver.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 23 Oct. 2011,
Actionaid. “Meals per Gallon: the impact of industrial biofuels on people and global hunger .” 2010. www.actionaid.org/uk
Friends of Earth, Europe. “Losing the Plot” the threats to community land and rural poor through the spread of the biofuel Jatropha in India. 2009 www.foeeurope.org
Actionaid. “Fuelling hunger: new data reinforces why the UK must tackle damaging biofuels policies at the G8 and the EU.” 2013