Jatropha: A Smallholder Bioenergy Crop
The Potential for Pro-Poor Development

Richard Brittaine – Agricultural Consultant, Reading, Berkshire, UK
NeBambi Lutaladio – Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO, Rome, Italy
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2010

As developing countries face increasing local demand for energy in rural areas, they also must deal with both economic and environmental pressure on agricultural lands in general. The possibility of growing energy crops such as Jatropha curcas L. has the potential to enable some smallholder farmers, producers and processors to cope with
these pressures. Jatropha is an underutilized, oil-bearing crop. It produces a seed that can be processed into non-polluting biodiesel that, if well exploited, can provide opportunities for good returns and rural development.

In addition to growing on degraded and marginal lands, this crop has special appeal, in that it grows under drought conditions and animals do not graze on it. However, many of the actual investments and policy decisions on developing jatropha as an oil crop have been made without the backing of sufficient science-based knowledge. Realizing the true potential of jatropha requires separating facts from the claims and half-truths.

This review is based on the records of the International Consultation on Pro-Poor Jatropha Development held in April 2008, in Rome, Italy, and hosted by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Foundation (UNF) and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The consultation was designed to support activities aimed at developing appropriate technologies for sustainable intensification of biofuel feedstock production, studying the economics of bioenergy for rural needs and assessing its impact on rural poverty.

The review provides a brief overview of biofuels, their growth drivers and their potential impacts on poor societies. It looks at how jatropha, which originated in Central America and then spread across Africa and Asia, has become widespread throughout the tropics and subtropics. It also builds upon technical and scientific information on key issues affecting jatropha for pro-poor development that was presented during the consultation by specialists from around the world. The review also summarizes the most recent data on the cultivation, seed harvesting and processing, uses and genetic improvement of jatropha, and it offers an overview and case studies of experiences with jatropha production in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It concludes with viewpoints gathered from the Consultation’s group discussions and roundtables that recognized the importance of biofuels and the potential of jatropha biofuel development for poverty reduction, but also emphasized the need to consider potential risks to food security, the environment and livelihoods of the rural poor.

This publication seeks to contribute to strengthening jatropha policies and strategies in developing countries – policies that recognize the potential of jatropha to contribute towards pro-poor development, sustain rural income and improve livelihoods. We trust that it will provide valuable guidance to government and institutional policy- and decision-makers, and that it will be a valuable source of information for programme managers, international and multilateral development organizations, donors, NGOs, the private sector and foundations as well as researchers, advisors, teachers and professionals in agriculture.

Kindly download PDF file for detailed information.