A small inedible seed from a Mexican tree is seen by some as the answer to the world’s fuel crisis. But the seed from the jatropha tree, used to make biofuels, is still hugely controversial in South Africa and the government is not at all sure that the plant will solve the country’s biofuel woes.
In the past couple of years bio-fuels, made out of food commodities such as maize and sugar cane, have been pushing up food prices, raising questions about the effects of biofuel production on food security, especially regarding the poor.
But jatropha, a poisonous oilseed that yields an inedible vegetable oil used to make biofuel, does not threaten food security because it is not a food crop.
The agriculture department, however, is sceptical about allowing the plant to flourish in the country. Spokesperson Priscilla Sehoole says that given South African climatic and environmental constraints and limited agricultural production potential, jatropha is not at the moment considered a viable option as a source for biofuels.
Some see the plant’s ability to grow in arid conditions and without much water as one of its benefits, but critics dispute this.
“Information gathered from elsewhere in the world is contradictory and has to be tested locally to ensure limited environmental impact and sustainability before it is introduced,” Sehoole says.
“Too many lessons have been learned at high cost when plants that promised to be solutions turned into environmental and social disasters for South Africa. The department would rather take a cautious, informed approach than have to deal with another problem plant at the expense of the taxpayer.”
It is currently illegal to plant jatropha in the country or propagate it without a permit. But Sehoole says the department is signing an agreement with the Central Energy Fund (CEF) to establish a commercial-level pilot project to determine the economic feasibility and viability, as well as the environmental impact of such a project under controlled conditions.
“We are investigating possible opportunities to evaluate jatropha as one of the candidates for mines rehabilitation where the climatic conditions are favourable, but have not concluded agreements on the matter,” she says.
Sehoole says the government has a number of concerns about the plant, one of which is the possible footprint in South Africa given that required growth conditions are limited.
“To increase production, favourable growing conditions are necessary,” she says. “The area that can be classified in South Africa as sub-tropical is limited and the agricultural crops grown in those areas have a much higher income potential than jatropha.”
Sehoole says the North West provincial government has already burned its fingers with jatropha after the department cautioned it about the plant. A company called Mafikeng Bio-diesel received R10-million from the provincial government and promised job creation in the province.
But when contacted, Petro Naude, one of the former directors of the project, told the Mail & Guardian that jatropha did not grow in Mafikeng because it was too cold. The project also folded because the agriculture department refused to issue a permit for the plant.
Government believes that foreigners are pushing jatropha to secure their supply of oil for bio-diesel and so that they can control the price. The department says promoters argue that the crop will not compete with food crops.
Sehoole says the volumes required to produce viable quantities of oil to establish a bio-diesel plant, the transport logistics and the prices offered are not feasible and do not address the needs of rural communities.
Also, the government says, jatropha is not considered a high-income-generating opportunity compared with sub-tropical fruits such as mangos, for example, which can be grown in the same area.
“Even under favourable conditions in India the local communities are removing jatropha planted under contract because they make more money out of vegetables,” Sehoole says.
But AIM-listed D1 Oil , a UK-based company, believes otherwise. It has been trying to convince the South African government for a couple of years now to invest in the plant. The company has planted more than 156Â 000ha in countries across Africa, India and south-east Asia, either on its own or in partnership with governments and farmers’ co-operatives.
In Africa D1 Oil plans to plant jatropha on 41Â 044ha of land in Swaziland, Zambia, Madagascar, Mali and Malawi. The company has a total area of 9Â 244ha in Swaziland, of which 1Â 227ha are managed plantations and a further 8Â 017ha fall under contract farming. In Zambia the managed plantation covers 2Â 411ha and contract farming 20Â 760ha, totalling 23Â 171ha.
Commenting on the government’s Draft Biofuels Industry Strategy in May this year, Demetri Pappadopoulos said that South Africa’s view on food crops being used for biofuels was contradictory.
Pappadopoulos, who is also the director of energy company Helius Energy, said South Africa proposed in the strategy to use soya as the main feedstock for biodiesel production, but that he believed jatropha was much better-suited to the purpose.
He said jatropha met the requirements of being a low-cost, high-yield, non-edible crop, which could be planted on marginal lands. With the government support that D1 Oil Africa receives in Swaziland and Zambia, it is clear the company could help these countries fight unemployment and boost their economies, including rural economies. “This is being done through the planting of jatropha by farmers and employment on D1’s managed farms,” he said.
Earlier this year Bob Geldof also flew into South Africa to promote the use of jatropha. At Geldof’s media briefing, Pappadopulos said he believed the South African government was coming around on the issue of jatropha. Geldof said he believed jatropha could solve many of Africa’s agricultural problems.