Jatropha Facts and the Context for Bangladesh

Jatropha is NOT a threat to food security. In fact, it is completely inedible. It is doesn’t need to be grown in crop land because it can be grown anywhere, even wastelands. Did you know that Bangladesh has approximately 37 lac hectares of wasteland? Did you know that Jatropha is even grown in the Sahara Desert?

To produce enough diesel to fulfill Bangladesh’s needs only requires 100 hectares of land. Jatropha is not even consumed by animals so it is an excellent border plant to be used to prevent animals from wondering onto and destroying valuable crops. It’s leaves also enrich the soil as the fall. It also can be planted along riverbanks and coastlines to prevent erosion.

Jatropha begins to produce fruit from the second year after plantation and continues to produce fruit for 50 years without replanting.

The process of expressing the oil is similar to that of mustard oil expression and therefore it is not cost intensive.

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posted by Sudha @ 10:28 PM