A LOCAL environmentalist has warned that the production of biodiesel at a commercial scale could lead to food shortages, depriving communities of their livelihood.
Business Reporter
Environment Africa director Barnabas Mawire said production of Jatropha at local level has far much better results as compared to producing the crop for bio-diesel fuel.
He said government should shift its focus to the production of by-products of the jatropha crop rather than biodiesel production, adding that production of the biofuel is at nascent stages in most economies.
“Jatropha promotion should start at community level otherwise if people don’t see the benefits at local level then it’s not a good project,” he said.
The non-governmental organisation has 25 groups that it is working on Jatropha with each group having at least 200 people.
Mawire said Environment Africa, together with Worldwide Wild Fund Zimbabwe, carried studies that revealed that it’s economically viable to produce Jatropha seed at local level.
He said the gross margin was found to be positive from a yield as little as 0,5 tonnes per hectare through to two tonnes per hectare for a soap-making enterprise. “If the benefits from Jatropha cake, household illumination and other products are factored into the equation, the benefits will double if not treble. When compared to selling the seed to outside buyers, local level processing brings better benefits to the community than otherwise,” he said.
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Mawire said communities in Mudzi produce oil, bar soap and petroleum jelly from Jatropha.
He, however, added that there was need for government to demystify some of the myths that have been created about the Jatropha plant.
Mawire said when the jatropha project was launched, there were myths that the plant requires little water and also that people can make a lot of money out of producing Jatropha seed for bio-diesel when, instead, the plant has to be produced in large quantities for better yields.
“Informed and sound research and scientific information is required so that we do not end up with problems in food security. When I say food security I mean that there is need for people to understand that if they use land for Jatropha they will not be able to use the land for other plants,” he said.
