 First ever sustainability assessment of Jatropha plantations - Sustainability is a key success factor for biofuels. However, the Jatropha industry lacks experience in assessing the sustainability of the production of Jatropha. The project “Towards sustainability certification of Jatropha biofuels in Mozambique”, implemented by the Jatropha Alliance, now tackles this issue for the first time ever. > read more |
| 23 July 2010 Report finds bioenergy production can expand across Africa without displacing food > read more |
| 7 July 2010 Airlines Going Green? Waterland International to Deliver its First Shipment of Jatropha Oil for Use by the EU Airline Industry > read more |
| 7 June 2010 Global airline industry soars toward recovery > read more |
Jatropha recently faced criticism due to alleged high consumption of water, due to the negative Water Footprint of Bioenergy. Alongside with other scientists the Jatropha Alliance questions the methodology being used in this study. Below please find the comments on the water footprint as well as other reports with regard to water usage of Jatropha.
August 2009: The water footprint of bionenergy from Jatropha Curcas L.
This article from Raymond de Jongschaap, R.A.R. Blesgraaf, Thom Bogaard, E.N. van Loo and H.H.G. Savenije is a direct comment on the Water Footprint on Bioenergy. The authors from University Wageningen and Delft argue that a "too simplistic computation discards this multi-purpose tree [Jatropha] as an ineffecient energy source." According to them Jatropha has a range of characteristics coping with water stress.
In contrast to the negative Water Footprint Bioenergy Study the authors reports a water footprint of "128m³ per GJ; not even 1/3 of the WF of soybean" and five times less than in the study mentioned before.
Full article: The water footprint of bionenergy from Jatropha Curcas L.
August 2009: Use of inadequate data and methodological errors lead to an overestimation of the water footprint of Jatropha curcas
As stated in the title the authors from the Katholic University of Leuven believe that the water footprint of Jatropha in the Water Footprint of Bioenergy Study was "dramatically overestimated because of inappropriate use of data and methodological errors. In addition W.H. Maes, Wouter M.J. Achten and Bart Muys questions the calculation and argue that specific cultivations aspects have been ignored: "Relying on data of immature plantations instead of taking the entire rotation period into account caused an additional overestimation of the water footprint of Jatropha"
Refering to a plantation in Eqypt under optimal irrigation the authors report water footprint of 65m³ per GJ. This is eigth times less than alleged in the Water Footprint of Bioenergy.
Full article: Use of inadequate data and methodological errors lead to an overestimation of the water footprint of Jatropha curcas
July 2009: Report on Irrigation
An agricultural report commissioned by Elaion AG now analyses the process of irrigation for Jatropha. This report has been kindly forwarded by Elaion AG to the Jatropha Alliance. Below please find a short English summary as the full report is in German.
The irrigation of Jatropha plantation is meant to increase the yields due to higher oil production. Ideal conditions of course facilitate the growing of Jatropha like it does for any other crop. However, widespread irrigation of Jatropha is not meaningful, neither in socio-ecological nor in financial aspects. Not even mentioned the technical requirements for such a pipeline system.
Even a relative low irrigation of 10mm of water per m² for 4 months would require a lake with a radius of almost 500m with a depth of 10metres. In times of reduced access to water in poor countries and emerging water scarcity this is absolutely unacceptable. Once Jatropha gets used to irrigation its biological characteristics change, as the typical deep roots develop to a lesser extent and the crop becomes addicted to irrigation.
Besides that, the expected but not guaranteed surplus in yields bears no proportion to the cost for the installation and maintenance of the irrigation system.
Download: Report on Irrigation of Jatropha Curcas L.
April 2009: Water Footprint Bioenergy
This study conducted by University Twente provides a very negative picture about the water consumption of Jatropha. The Jatropha Alliance is in contact with the authors as we question their methodology.
Download: Water Footprint Bionenergy
April 2008: Pro-poor Biodiesel initiative for Rehabilitating Degraded Drylands
This presentation from ICRISAT at the IFAD conference "International consultation on pro-poor Jatropha development" shows that Jatropha manages to survive with 200 mm per year.
Download: Pro-poor Biodiesel initiative for Rehabilitating Degraded Drylands
2007: Agronomy: Rainfall and Irrigation
This article by Naveen Sharma on behalf of the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar analyses the water requirement of Jatropha in Barmer district of Rajasthan,India.
Download: Agronomy: Rainfall and Irrigation
