Jatropha for local devlopment, after the hype

This book, which presents the evaluation of six biofuel programmes from HIVOS summarizes the experience of Jatropha production for smallholders. It is a state-of-the art publication that brings together insights from projects from all over the world. The main conclusion of the book is that Biofuel crops such as Jatropha can be profitable for small-scale producers if grown and managed properly; adding food crops during the initial years after planting Jatropha and even more so if the oil and pres-cake are processed into other products (e.g. biogas, fertiliser, bio-pesticedes, briquettes, medicine, soap) than exclusively for biofuel. Jatropha production is not a silver bullet solution for farmers in developing countries; but under the right agro-climatic conditions, where land is abundant and labour is cheap, it can provide additional cash income in an environmentally positive way, and help reduce greenhouse gases.  This is particularly applicable for Sub-Saharan Africa.