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Earlier this century, jatropha was hailed as a “miracle” biofuel. A simple shrubby tree native to Central America, it was extremely promoted as a high-yielding, drought-tolerant biofuel feedstock that might grow on degraded lands across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
A jatropha rush occurred, with more than 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) planted by 2008. But the bubble burst. Low yields caused plantation failures nearly all over. The after-effects of the jatropha crash was polluted by allegations of land grabbing, mismanagement, and overblown carbon reduction claims.
Today, some researchers continue pursuing the incredibly elusive pledge of high-yielding jatropha curcas. A resurgence, they say, is dependent on splitting the yield problem and addressing the hazardous land-use problems linked with its original failure.
The sole staying large jatropha plantation is in Ghana. The plantation owner claims high-yield domesticated varieties have actually been achieved and a brand-new boom is at hand. But even if this comeback falters, the world’s experience of jatropha holds crucial lessons for any promising up-and-coming biofuel.
At the start of the 21st century, Jatropha curcas, an unassuming shrub-like tree native to Central America, was planted throughout the world. The rush to jatropha curcas was driven by its guarantee as a sustainable source of biofuel that could be grown on degraded, unfertile lands so as not to displace food crops. But inflated claims of high yields failed.

Now, after years of research study and advancement, the sole staying big plantation focused on growing jatropha is in Ghana. And Singapore-based jOil, which owns that plantation, declares the jatropha return is on.

“All those companies that failed, embraced a plug-and-play design of hunting for the wild varieties of jatropha. But to commercialize it, you require to domesticate it. This belongs of the procedure that was missed out on [during the boom],” jOil CEO Vasanth Subramanian told Mongabay in an interview.

Having gained from the mistakes of jatropha’s past failures, he says the oily plant could yet play a key role as a liquid biofuel feedstock, reducing transport carbon emissions at the global level. A brand-new boom could bring fringe benefits, with jatropha also a prospective source of fertilizers and even bioplastics.

But some scientists are hesitant, keeping in mind that jatropha curcas has already gone through one hype-and-fizzle cycle. They caution that if the plant is to reach complete potential, then it is necessary to gain from previous errors. During the first boom, jatropha plantations were obstructed not just by bad yields, however by land grabbing, deforestation, and social problems in countries where it was planted, consisting of Ghana, where jOil runs.

Experts also recommend that jatropha’s tale uses lessons for researchers and entrepreneurs checking out appealing new sources for liquid biofuels - which exist aplenty.

Miracle shrub, major bust

Jatropha’s early 21st-century appeal came from its pledge as a “second-generation” biofuel, which are sourced from turfs, trees and other plants not originated from edible crops such as maize, soy or oil palm. Among its numerous purported virtues was an ability to thrive on abject or “marginal” lands