Jatropha: Green Biodiesel from African Tree
Date: 10.2.2011
Jatropha has been championed as a major environmental opportunity for developing countries with a semi-arid climate and marginal soil. Scientist Karl Hilding Thunes of the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute has been investigating whether this small, hardy and relatively pest-free tree lives up to its billing.
Jatropha is a top candidate for future large-scale biodiesel production, according to investment bank Goldman Sachs. TIME Magazine reported that jatropha could yield 6 tonnes of biodiesel per acre (15 tonnes per hectare) annually. The New York Times wrote that this otherwise worthless weed far eclipses corn's efficiency as a biofuel.
Furthermore, since it can grow in soils and climates poorly suited for cultivating edible crops, jatropha poses little threat to food production in developing countries.
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