Jatropha Organisation of South Africa Home Page

Welcome to the Home Page of

The Jatropha Organisation of South Africa

Our Mission is to:

Provide Jatropha as an alternative, renewable and sustainable form of energy.
To reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Source and encourage South African Farmers to plant Jatropha on their land.
Promote & Co-ordinate Jatropha Development and Investment opportunities in multiple geographic locations of Southern Africa and especially in decentralized rural communities towards the purpose of Socio-Economic Upliftment.

Jatropha Curcas L in Southern Africa

The Jatropha Organization of South Africa is dedicated to the development of Jatropha in South Africa as an alternative, renewable and sustainable form of energy. The organization is seeking to lobby the Government to support farmers with Jatropha plantations on their land because Jatropha has all the requirements of an energy crop and is thus eligible as a contributor towards adaptation to climate change. The establishment of large plantations will reduce green house gas emissions and create major carbon sinks. Jatropha is well known to absorb 100 % of the emissions created by burning it. As a clean, renewable and alternative source of fuel in South Africa Jatropha will create numerous business and employment opportunities in response to its contribution to climate change.

The Jatropha Plant is grown to produce Jatropha seed which is used to make Jatropha Biodiesel. Jatropha seeds produce between 35% and 37% of their mass in oil and this is why the Jatropha tree is commonly referred to as the Biodiesel Jatropha Plant.

The Jatropha tree is cultivated to about 3 meters high and produces seed that contain an inedible vegetable oil that's used to produce biodiesel and other oil related products.

We are all aware of directives that require a minimum level of biofuel as a proportion of fuels sold. There are however insufficient raw materials (feedstock) for making biodiesel and other biofuel to run the economy in accordance with these directives.

It is therefore up to Farmers to take full advantage of this lucrative opportunity because whether you like it or not Biodiesel is going to happen. Infinite Wisdom has is that 'Necessity is the Mother of Invention' - Plato (427 BC - 347 BC).

You may plant 2500 trees per hectare at 2m apart for commercial purposes. With good planning, quality planting material, standard farming practices and good crop management Jatropha should yield approximately 10 tons of seed per hectare from the fifth year onwards. (That is 10,000kgs of seed per hectare) At an extraction rate of 37% you will get 3.7 tons of oil. (That’s is 3,700kgs of oil per hectare) The specific density of Jatropha Oil is .916kgs per liter. Therefore 3700 divided by .916 = 4039 liters per hectare.

This is not to say that farmers should discontinue their current farming endeavors. Jatropha may also be planted at 2 to 4m apart. In cooler climates it actually does better with trees spaced at larger distances apart. Well spaced trees will receive more sunlight and therefore do much better. The advantage is that you will be able to retain animals to keep the grass down or plant other food crops in between.

Intercropping. Jatropha is a natural nitrogen fixer when planted along with other crops in symbiosis. Jatropha has in fact increased food production in third world countries where non cultivated land has been developed. This dismisses the widely held view that Jatropha has or will displace food crops.

Jatropha has all the following qualities:

• It is drought resistant.

• It can be grown almost anywhere even in sandy, saline or otherwise infertile soil.

• It adapts well to marginal soils with low nutrient content.

• It is relatively easy to propagate.

• It is not invasive, damaging, or spreading like Black Wattle or Pine.

• It is capable of stabilizing sand dunes, acting as a windbreak or combating

desertification.

* It is excellent for the rehabilitation of mine lands.

• It naturally repels insects and animals do not browse it.

• It lives for over 50 years producing seeds and clean oxygen all the time.

• It does not exhaust the nutrients in the land.

• It does not require expensive crop rotation.

• Once established it provides its own fertiliser.

• It grows quickly and establishes itself easily.

• It can provide a high yield with standard farming practices.

• No displacement of food crops is necessary.

• It is great for developing countries in terms of energy and jobs.

• The biodiesel byproduct, glycerin, is profitable in itself.

• The waste plant mass after oil extraction can be used as a fertilizer.

• The plant itself recycles 100% of the CO2 emissions produced by burning the biodiesel.

The above positive attributes are not necessarily vested in all Jatropha undertakings neither should the plant be strictly subjected to the valorisation (increase in value) of capital. (The view of our Government) The three principles to be considered are Economics, Environment and Social Criteria. Investment in Jatropha Plantations may therefore be carried out for one or more of the following reasons:

1. Socio Economic Upliftment: Energy supply and employment in remote rural areas. Social stability and containment of migration and crime.

2. Combating desertification: Ability to grow in arid areas to halt the encroachment of deserts.

3. Replenishment of Degraded Land: Organic Fertilizer and Nitrogen Fixer. Rehabilitation of mine lands.

4. Control of wind and water erosion: Acts as a windbreaker. The shade afforded keeps the ground moist and so do the leaves that fall in winter.

5. A living fence that stock will not eat: A fence that contributes to climate change.

6. Biomass: Leaves, Prunings, Husks and Seedcake are all returned to the soil.

7. Climate Change: Grown for over 30-50 years not for the purpose of being cut down or harvested and replanted whilst providing clean oxygen all the time.

8. Biofuel: Creates energy from land without large inputs.

9. Farm Energy Supply: A farmer can ascribe a portion of his land to service his own fuel needs.

10. Commercial Enterprise: Investment in Jatropha Farms in return for a profit.

A Jatropha project is thus part of a larger and long term strategy in that it will lead to the establishment of Jatropha Farms, Food Crops, an Oil Extraction Industry and the manufacture of biodiesel & other related products while contributing to Climate Change and Socio Economic Development.

There are three aspects to a Jatropha Enterprise:

1. Jatropha Farming

2. Jatropha Oil Extraction.

3. Jatropha Biodiesel Making

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