2nd JatrophaWorld Africa Speakers Prof. Bart Muys and Ir. Wouter Achten along with their colleague Wouter Maes from Belgium’s Katholieke Universiteit Leuven sent a clear message to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) rebutting the controversial findings.

Here were some of the key flaws they highlighted in the Gerbens-Leenes et al findings:

• The data used by the authors (Gerbens-Leenes et al) were wrong. Instead of using data of real water used by jatropha, they summed the total rainfall and irrigation: the actual water used will be only a fraction of this sum, particularly in regions with very intense rainfall events; this has caused a considerable overestimation of the water footprint.
• The other parameters necessary to calculate the water footprint of jatropha ( ffat, fdiesel, and HHVdiesel) were unfounded. The article they cited as reference did not match up to the figures they used.
• The authors only used data of very young Jatropha plantations. Jatropha is a woody species, and at the beginning of its life, Jatropha, like other woody species, invests mainly in non-reproductive tissues, such as stem and root biomass. Mature jatropha plants invest considerably less in non-reproductive tissue and more in reproductive tissues, hence the water footprint decreases with age. Therefore, ignoring the particularities of a woody species additionally overestimated the water footprint. For a correct calculation of water footprint, the entire life span should be taken into account.
• The authors used data of ONLY 5 jatropha plantations. They also failed to check whether the agronomical practices in these plantations were adequate.
• A recent calculation of the water footprint in an Egyptian Jatropha plantation was only 16% of the Gerbens-Leenes estimate. Maes et al. gave a rough estimate, based on data on an Egyptian 1-year old plantation, and find that the water footprint under optimal irrigation was 65 m3/GJ, only 16% of the estimate of Gerbens-Leenes et al. However, it must be noted that the limited data currently available makes it is impossible for accurate caulculations of Jatropha’s WF.

Other world renowned Jatropha researchers have published similar rebuttals, rejecting the Gerbens-Leenes et al findings, including Raymond Jongschaap R.A.R. Blesgraaf, Thom Bogaard, E.N. van Loo and H.H.G. Savenije from University Wageningen and Delft.

>>Attend 2nd JatrophaWorld Africa<< to hear from Prof Bart Muys who will be speaking on the topic ‘First Worldwide Yield Model For Jatropha’ and Ir. Wouter Achten, who will be sharing on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Biodiesel Production!

We understand that the principal need and hurdle to jatropha project development currently is to secure financing, this mini-workshop is specially designed to help you meet funding requirements by showing financiers the shareholder values of a project.

The special feature of this session is that it will be “INTERACTIVE”.  The participants would be given a short questionnaire prior to the Workshop to provide their own top seven variables, of their Jatropha farming, refining and marketing operations for the model.  These variables would be then fed into the model and the outcome in the form of  “Profitability”, “Cashflow” and “Risk Profile” shown to them.  Thereafter, there will be Panel discussions, which would focus on the “Optimization of Jatropha Biodiesel Value Chain” and how each respondent could optimize his/her own Jatropha farming, biodiesel production and marketing operations.  The Financier would be able to pay attention to the “critical variables” that would make a difference in the success of Jatropha Biodisel operations.

The value-added Mini-Workshop is offered to delegates of 2^nd JatrophaWorld Americas at NO EXTRA COST!

You won’t want to miss the valuable insights offered by the mini-workshop.

Sign up for 2^nd JatrophaWorld Americas now to secure your seat at the world’s premier Jatropha forum.

Please find below more details on the Mini-Workshop:

MINI-WORKSHOP: JATROPHA BIODIESEL VALUE CHAIN MODEL – MEETING FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
Day 2, 4 December 2009, 9.05 – 11.05 hrs.

Key Objectives:

• To highlight the importance and methodology of integrating all the variables at a very granular level, as they relate to every aspect of your farming operations, oil extraction, trans-esterification and refining operations and eventually marketing, not only the “biodiesel” but also all the “byproducts”.
• This would be achieved by developing and building a “quantitative model” whose objectives would be to show the “financial results” of the operations by highlighting the economic indicators of the project such as Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Payback Period and Present Worth Index. This in turn would go a long way in assisting you to procure finance successfully to fund their operations which seems to be the principal need and hurdle of all Jatropha growers.
• For the Financier, the Decision & Risk Analysis (D&RA) will clearly establish, what the “Principal Drivers of the Business” are and what the Risk Profile is for the Project, i.e., the probability of enhancing or destroying shareholder value.
• For Jatropha Farmer and Refiner too, this would show which variables they have to improve upon to reduce the “Risk Profile” of the project and enhance shareholder value.

Panelists:

Modeler: Dr M.V. Krishna Kumar, President & CEO, Tiara International Consulting LLC

Grower: Mr James Love, VP International Operations, Abundant Biofuels Corporation

Financier: Mr Gregory Montgomery, Managing Director, MCF Advisors

» TAKE ME to the REGISTRATION PAGE where I can SIGN UP with my Team, and set my Jatropha project on the path to a successful future!

The ambitious project will enable registered members to put up information about their projects, share their experiences from around the world & start specific discussions about Jatropha energy supply chains & biofuels sustainability.

Organizations participating at JatrophaWorld Hamburg 2008 can register to join Jatrophabook for *F*R*E*E* during the conference and add their projects to the interactive map, where every registered Jatropha project will be provided with a personalized space on the website to show their activities.

Registered Jatrophabook members will also have the possibility to tag each other on the interactive map, allowing integration and a sharing of sustainability practices.

Jatrophabook and its community will cooperate with some of the most important international institutions to establish guidelines to improve Jatropha sustainability. Local institutions will also support the delineation of ad hoc principles for every Jatropha growing country and will provide assistance to the registered members.

The final result will be a bottom-up process in which, through the participation of all the members, from the seed producers to the end users, Jatropha sustainability will be achievable.

For more information, visit

www.jatrophabook.com

www.agroils.com

Tel: + 39 055 4630471

In fact, many of the delegates we met at JatrophaWorld Jakarta and Miami had many examples to share about small scale Jatropha power generation plants for rural electrification projects in India & Africa.

Jatropha Oil for Small Scale Power Generation Projects
Many NGOs have Jatropha projects involving some of the poorest villages in Asia and Africa, and getting these poor farmers to plant Jatropha. With this, the village can become entirely energy self sufficient due to the multiple applications of Jatropha oil and by products.

One small scale Jatropha based power project we’ve heard of is the one being run by Winrock International in the Kabir Dham district in Chattisgarh, INDIA, which is already providing 24-hour power supply at the very affordable price of 50 cents per light bulb to poor villagers.

The 17.5 KW capacity power plant, which runs on raw oil produced from jatropha seeds, has been supplying electricity to the villagers since it became operational in April last year. Over 106 households in the area, which previously had no access to electricity, have already been ‘illuminated’ by this innovative power generation project.

The project in Chattisgarh represents Jatropha’s very critical role in rural development, and there other such projects scattered all over Asia & Africa in the Jatropha growing regions. Due to these initiatives, many of the worlds’ poorest will have the chance to get access to electricity for the first time in their life!

Is it Feasible to Use Crude Jatropha Oil for Large-Scale Power Generation?
Belgiuan sustainable energy developer Thenergo seems to think so. Thenergo have commissioned Wartsila to build the world’s first combined heat and power (CHP) plant that will run on jatropha oil.
The project, named Greenpower, is situated in the agricultural area Merksplas (Belgium) and is expected to become operational in February 2009. The plant will generate 6MWth of heat for two industrial partners, and 9MWe of electricity for the equivalent of 20,000 households.

The use of Jatropha oil in power generation and as heating fuel brings the industry a step towards the widespread commercialization of Jatropha, one of the very few ‘Biofuels’ that does not compete with food crops.

According to Wartsila spokesperson Ronald Westerdijk, “Jatropha oil is a liquid biofuel that has great potential since jatropha can also be harvested outside the world’s rainforest areas, even near deserts.”

Using Pure Jatropha Oil in Diesel Engines
Pure Jatropha Oil can be successfully used as a diesel replacement in stationary engines such as water pumps, as well as modified diesel engines for transportation including tractors and vehicles.

There are certain types of diesel engines that require only the addition of a fuel filter to run on pure Jatropha oil, thus eliminating the need of the more expensive blended biodiesel option.

In addition to this, Pure Jatropha Oil also performs better as a fuel due to its higher oxygen content, and has lubricating qualities.

The use of pure Jatropha oil as a transportation fuel makes it more affordable and viable, not to mention environmentally friendly than blended biodiesel.

Other Uses for Jatropha Oil
As a tool for rural development, Jatropha oil does play an important role in generating income and increasing the overall quality of life for communities involved in Jatropha cultivation.

In fact, one of the most critical uses for Jatropha oil is in cooking!

To people grappling with poverty, the price of kerosene or cooking fuel might be prohibitive. The availability of Jatropha Oil in this respect becomes a viable alternative to kerosene
Bosch & Siemens Home Appliances Group (BSH) has recently developed a stove “Protos”, which can successfully burn Kerosene and Jatropha Oil as fuel. In fact, BSH is pushing for the use of Jatropha oil, which is significantly cheaper and environmentally friendly.

More critically, a stove operated on Jatropha oil offers a much safer cooking environment because Jatropha oil is not very flammable and it cannot explode, two of the major concerns regarding kerosene. In rural communities where building materials are often plant based and highly flammable, a safe cooking environment is critical.

Additionally, the more efficient burning of Jatropha oil means that cooking time will be significantly less for the Jatropha stove, thus saving on valuable cooking fuel.

Jatropha’s Capacities in Power Generation, Diesel Engines, Heating and Cooking Covered at JatrophaWorld Hamburg 2008
With Jatropha rising to meet the electricity demands of the developing and the developed world, this application of Jatropha has tremendous potential to become a major revenue generator for Jatropha producers and project developers.

And at JatrophaWorld Hamburg 2008, we’re committed towards informing the community about Jatropha’s tremendous potential as a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of Biofuel.

That’s why we are proud to announce Wartsila as one of the newest additions to our panel of experts. Speaking on their CHP project, Wartsila will be sharing insights on alternative uses for Jatropha oil for heating and power generation.

We are also happy to share that Bosch & Siemens Home Applicances Group (BSH) is on our panel sharing more information on their revolutionary Jatropha oil cooking stove.
You can also hear from Cleanstar Ventures, a Jatropha project developer, on their first hand experience with using Pure Jatropha Oil in diesel engines and micro generators.

So what are you waiting for? Register for JatrophaWorld Hamburg 2008 today at http://futureenergyevents.com/jatropha/attend/register-for-jatrophaworld/

We look forward to meeting you in Hamburg in October.

Right now, the Biodiesel blends are pricier than pure petroleum diesel, but with the prices of diesel going on an upward trend, this might no longer be the case. Diesel has followed the petroleum surge, ending at $3.82 a galleon last week based on US government data.

Rising diesel prices continue to put pressure on consumers and businesses that depend on the fuel, including bulk transportation and power generation.

All in all, businesses are looking for the better alternative, the cheaper alternative, and at the end of the day, the greener alternative. The pressure on the world’s largest energy economy to cut down emissions is now much stronger, and climate change has become one of the most important agenda in the 2008 US Presidential Elections.

America is also determined to reduce their dependence on oil imports from the Middle East, and many entrepreneurs believe that Biodiesel might be the answer to their fuel needs.

However, Biodiesel is not going to go main-stream in the US for some time.

According to a report by The Seattle Times, between 3 percent and 4 percent of the US registered vehicles are diesel well below the 49 percent in Europe, where higher gasoline prices long ago made diesel’s 30-40 percent greater fuel efficiency appealing.

Despite the relatively low domestic demand for Diesel, the US simply isn’t capable of replacing petroleum diesel at current demand levels with homegrown soybean based Biodiesel. “We don’t have the acreage, the production capacity,” said Peter Murchie at the Environmental Protection Agency in his statement to the Seattle Times.

In the mean time, the expanding interest and demand for Biodiesel means that more want a share of this very profitable pie. States like Washington and Oregon have also expressed interest in expanding their domestic Biodiesel production capabilities.

Matt Steuerwalt, energy aide to Seattle Gov. Christine Gregoire, had issued the following statement with regards to the state’s policy towards Biodiesel: “We’re trying to build a whole industry in this state, from growing to crushing to refining to using,” said. Right now Seattle is using Biodiesel for at least some of their public transit and service vehicles.

Not surprisingly however, there have been major supply problems. The Seattle Metro Transit network often faces problems with supply.

Shortage shortages may no longer bar the path to widespread commercialization of Biodiesel. With over 171 Biodiesel producing plants in the US, shortages shouldn’t be a problem, according to the National Biodiesel Board.

That said, you might remember that in one of our previous posts, we had mentioned that many Biodiesel plants across the US are choosing not to manufacture because they are unable to get enough feedstocks, or that the feedstocks are too expensive, making the per gallon cost of production of Biodiesel very high.
The demand for Biodiesel in America is going to expand if the oil markets continue in their upwards price trend is a fact written in stone.

America needs another viable source of Biodiesel that is inexpensive, not already a source of food and vulnerable to jelling at low temperatures. Soy oil, the source of about 90 percent of U.S. Biodiesel fails on all three counts.

Currently, Jatropha ranks amongst the most inexpensive of all Biodiesel feedstock. The seed also has one of the highest oil yields amongst the feedstocks, and is second only to Palm. Jatropha is not a food crop and does not compete with food crops for arable land. Studies have also shown that Jatropha oil has a very low gelling point in comparison to Soy oil.

All these positives about Jatropha qualify it as a far more viable feedstock for Biodiesel than soy.

However Jatropha’s widespread use is still in the future, as America’s farming communities have not really explored the potential for the commercial cultivation of Jatropha. That said, more and more American planters and research institutions are starting to study the possibility of planting Jatropha in degraded soils in California, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada and Phoenix, possibly creating an agricultural revival in these states and boosting local economies.

With the boom in domestic diesel demand and Biodiesel production outfits, the demand and profile of Jatropha in the US is poised to rise sharply.

What do you think? Is the era of Soy ending? Will 2nd Generation Biodiesel feedstocks like Jatropha meet the US diesel demand? Make your voice heard on this issue. Drop us your comments, or better yet, tell it to us in person at JatrophaWorld 2008 Miami.

On one hand, only a quarter of the current production capacity of these refineries is being used, and the numbers of new plants coming up has slowed down drastically.

On the other hand, Biodiesel sales volume continues to increase exponentially, with government mandates in the US and around the world calling for even more Biodiesel in the coming years.

Currently, about 80 percent of the Biodiesel manufactured in the United States is made from soybean oil. And the demand for Soybean oil based Biodiesel has dropped due to the escalating prices.

One such company, Northwood Mills LLC in Northwood is not giving up on refining vegetable oil, but it is drastically changing its focus. Instead of crushing soybeans for the Biodiesel market, it’s switching to canola for the food market.

In his interview with the Associated Press’ Blake Nicholson, Northwood Mills LLC’s General Manager Clarence Leschied said the company has soured on soybeans.

“The demand (for vegetable oil) from the Biodiesel sector has just about disappeared, whereas canola going into the food market still has good demand,” he said. “We’ve just seen the margins on soybeans deteriorating.”

Leschied said that his is not the only company making this decision, as other plants also might switch from the energy sector to the food sector. “U.S. Biodiesel capacity is only running at about 25 percent,” he said.

According to the National Biodiesel Board, Biodiesel producers are going through “a rough patch” because of rising vegetable oil prices. But they believe many of the nation’s 171 plants were built large — accounting for much of the unused production capacity — in anticipation of growth sure to come.

More passenger vehicles are being made with engines that can burn Biodiesel, an alternative to petroleum-based fuels, Pearson said. A new federal law also sets a biofuels standard of 36 billion gallons per year by 2022, a sevenfold increase from the current standards.

All in all, Biodiesel demand is set increase sharply in the US, and its traditional feedstocks like corn and soybean will be too expensive and unable to meet this demand.

Judging by the way the Biodiesel markets are moving in America, Biodiesel producers will soon move away from Soybeans as their primary feedstock for Biodiesel, and choose other more commercially viable options like Jatropha.

This chart clearly shows that the cost of Corn Biodiesel is expensive, at almost $83 per barrel of fuel, placing it almost on par with Crude Oil. In comparison Jatropha is only $43 per barrel of fuel.

It remains critical for Americans to know about second generation feedstocks like Jatropha, which is now being planted in California and Florida. Brazil, Mexico and Argentina have already established successful Jatropha cultivation.

With the American Biodiesel industry poised at such an important stepping stone for growth, we at the JatrophaWorld 2008 team believe that JatrophaWorld 2008-Miami is perhaps the best platform for investors to tap into this potential giant, uncovering alternative sustainable revenue streams for your Jatropha investments in the world’s largest energy economy.

JatrophaWorld 2008-Miami will be give you boundless opportunities to expand your business interests through networking, meeting the right people, and hearing from the industry on the upcoming developments in the United States.

Do you believe in the potential for Jatropha in the American markets? Drop us a line telling us about your beliefs and opinions.

Airlines, however, are increasingly keen to come up with alternatives to petroleum-based jet fuel as they are facing mounting pressure to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

As Airlines are all set to be included in the emissions-trading systems, they will soon be forced to pay for their exhaust.

It makes sense that airlines are looking to biofuels as the better solution because it can be used in existing engine technology, without needing radical- and extremely costly- modifications and re-engineering.

Due to their inclusion in the emissions-trading system, airlines will also have a vested interest in their Carbon footprint; they are not going to embark on plans to clear rainforest, savannahs, wetland or other natural vegetation to grow their biofuel feedstock, as this will only increase their carbon footprint, rather than decrease it.

They plan to produce their biofuel from wasteland, or land not considered arable.

Jatropha fits the bill perfectly as a non-food crop that does not compete with food crop for arable land, and can be cultivated on waste land.

Jatropha is now poised to take on a new application in the highly profitable aviation industry, as extensive studies are now underway to use Jatropha to fuel aircraft.

Everyone with a vested interest in Biofuels was celebrating Virgin’s successful biofuel flight test last Sunday, which was done in conjunction with Boeing and General Electric Co.

The biofuel for this historic flight was supplied by Seattle’s Imperium Renewables, which overcame a problem that many fuel experts thought was insurmountable- producing a biofuel that wouldn’t freeze at -47° C, the toughest aviation standard.

(Imperium Renewables were a part of JatrophaWorld 2008-Jakarta, and we would like to extend our congratulations to their team for their discovery and for making aviation history!)

In the wake of Virgin’s successful test, the industry will now be closely watching for Air New Zealand, Boeing and engine maker Rolls-Royce’s test which is scheduled to run next year.

According to the New Zealand herald, one engine of an Air New Zealand Boeing 747 will run on a blended biofuel/kerosene mix and the other three engines will be powered by regular aviation fuel.

Air New Zealand’s research is concentrated on Jatropha and algae based biofuels.

Fuel has now become the single greatest expense that airlines face, and accounts for more than half the total cost of a single long-haul flight. With Oil prices set to remain around current levels in the foreseeable future, airlines will be pushing hard to find a viable source of renewable fuel.

With the industry poised on such an important milestone, we are honored to be a part of JatrophaWorld 2008 to chart Jatropha’s movement into new paradigms.

What do YOU think about Jatropha in the aviation industry? We look forward to hearing your opinions on the matter, and invite you to share your comments and views on the matter!

At JatrophaWorld 2008, the answer to those questions and many more will be discussed for YOUR investment outlook.

We at CMT, are very excited to tell you about the JatrophaWorld 2008 phenomenon!

A series of three conferences aimed at presenting all the latest updates on Jatropha, JatrophaWorld 2008 is now the single most important international business forum for Jatropha.

JatrophaWorld 2008 is being organized for everyone who wants accurate and the latest information on Jatropha.

The conference aims to set itself apart by being objective and separate fact from fiction in the myriad of issues surrounding Jatropha.

At JatrophaWorld 2008, we accomplish this by bringing together industry leaders to exchange ideas, share experiences and provide insider insights.

In line with JatrophaWorld 2008′s commitment to be the premier platform to share information and updates on Jatropha, we launched our preliminary position paper, Jatropha as a Biodiesel Feedstock: A Strategic Analysis which provided a broad overview on the Jatropha value chain.

You can download this paper for FREE at www.futureenergyevents.com/jatrophapaper/index.html

The position paper is but the first chapter in the JatrophaWorld 2008 story.

As we had shared with you, we wanted to prove that JatrophaWorld 2008 was all about presenting facts and having YOUR questions and concerns addressed.

That’s why we organized our inaugral webcast “Debunking the Myths of Jatropha”.

The webcast was conducted by Dr. R. Rajagopal, author of our highly successful position paper “Jatropha as a Biodiesel Feedstock: A Strategic Analysis” and Dr. Sudheer Shetty, CEO of Labland Biodiesel and one of our expert panelists speaking at JatrophaWorld 2008-Jakarta.

You can download the recording of this webcast for FREE at http://www.futureenergyevents.com/jatrophawebcast/

The success of our first conference JatrophaWorld 2008- Jakarta was assured with the buzz that the event created. Almost everyone with a vested interest in Jatropha was discussing about this conference.

Have you heard about our record breaking statistics?

With over 350 delegates from over 40 countries, JatrophaWorld 2008- Jakarta became the most important Jatropha Industry Platform where there was an exchange of ideas and information, all culminating in deals being struck and investment decisions being made.

With such a powerful recommendation for the JatrophaWorld 2008 phenomenon, you don’t want to miss out on JatrophaWorld 2008-Miami.

To be held on 10-11 June 2008, JatrophaWorld 2008 will once again bring together the best expertise from all over the world, presenting new perspectives relevant to American, Caribbean and Latin American investments, as well as revisit the investment outlook in Asia and Africa.

Make sure you get VIP Access to JatrophaWorld 2008-Miami!

Visit our VIP Alert Page at www.futureenergyevents.com/jatropha/vipalert/miami2008.html and register your name and e-mail address for all the latest updates and other VIP priveleges.

We will keep posting JatrophaWorld 2008 updates here on this site, as well as any news or interesting information about Jatropha and Biofuels.

We look forward to interacting with all of you so send us your comments and your views about Jatropha and JatrophaWorld 2008.

We do hope that we can meet all of you at JatrophaWorld 2008 Miami!

JatrophaWorld 2008 Jakarta, held on 23-24 January 2008, saw over 350 Jatropha experts, industry players and entrepreneurs from 40 countries convening at the summit, which presented a snapshot of the Jatropha markets and industry. Organized by CMT-Centre for Management Technology, the event attracted a wide portfolio of delegates including bankers, venture capitalists, investors, financiers, Biodiesel producers, plantation owners, entrepreneurs, scientists, agronomists and government officials.

The expert panelists at the conference covered a wide range of topics that presented an excellent overview and overall summary of all the latest developments in Jatropha to date. The topics and issues discussed at the event included Jatropha plantation management in Southeast Asia, the latest on Jatropha Agronomy and genetics research, new developments in oil extraction and processing, the status of development in mechanical harvesting technologies, irrigation technologies and current and future applications of Jatropha and its by-products.

Discussions on Carbon trading and CDM financing explored alternative revenue streams for Jatropha investors. The social economics of Jatropha, and its impact on rural development was also examined and discussed with a wide variety of views expressed on Jatropha’s role as a tool for poverty alleviation.

Mr. Cheung Siu Ming, Executive Director of Oleo Bioenergy Investments based in China rated JatrophaWorld 2008 as “Valuable to the investors and other companies involved in Jatropha Biodiesel” echoing the sentiments of the delegates who joined us at the event.

Mr. Trevor Newbold, CEO of NOILS based in the Bahamas commented that “The presentations were most informative and the information shared current.”

JatrophaWorld 2008 saw huge numbers of investors looking for the right opportunities, and project developers looking for investors. The ten hours of business networking opportunities created a positive environment for the striking of deals.

Mr. Paul Dalton, CEO of Dream Fuels Ltd based in the US reported having “met TWO investors who are very interested in investing into my project in the US and Costa Rica.”

Most delegates appreciated all the opportunities presented to them to meet their fellow investors and the speakers with many providing glowing testimonials on meeting the right people during these events.

Mr. Marc Stammbach, Director of MBD Biodiesel based in Australia comments reflect these opinions, when he said that “important business connections were developed in networking events.”

Some JatrophaWorld 2008 delegates had the opportunity to visit a fully operational Jatropha plantation in Sukabumi, West Java. Participating delegates were taken on a tour of the vast acreage, where they were able to view tangible evidence of successful large scale Jatropha Cultivation, while ICERD researchers were on hand to explain the Jatropha growing process.

In addition to this, participants were also able to view a live demonstration of the oil extraction process by means of a mechanical seed pressing device, as well as hear more about the current applications of Jatropha oil in the Indonesian context. A lively discussion on plantation management techniques rounded up the site visit in the question and answer session. Delegates posed their questions to the researchers at the plantation and managed to get first hand accounts of dealing with plantation management issues.

The JatrophaWorld 2008 phenomenon is now going to the United States. JatrophaWorld 2008 will be held in 10th-11th June in Miami. JatrophaWorld 2008 will once again bring together the best expertise from all over the world, presenting new perspectives relevant to the American, and Latin American investments, as well as revisit the investment outlook in Asia and Africa.

To sign up for important announcements about JatrophaWorld 2008 Miami, please visit http://www.futureenergyevents.com/jatropha/vipalert/miami2008.html

For more information on JatrophaWorld 2008 Miami, please contact:

Ms. Divya Sangam
Event Marketing Executive
Tel: +65 6346 9140
E-mail: divya@cmtsp.com.sg
Fax: 65-63455928

India and China’s plans encompass more traditional options like sugar cane and maize, according to a report published by the International Water Management Institute or IWMI. The report decries the plan due to the problem of water. As both sugar cane and maize require plenty of water, biofuel crop production will very likely jeopardize sustainable water use, and affect the irrigated production of important food crops, including cereals and vegetables, which would then leave the country dependent on foreign imports to meet the demand for food.

The IWMI study and many others like it have been echoing a steady and increasingly loud warning about how the growing demand of biofuels could shortchange less economically developed countries that depend on staples like maize to feed its populations. In addition to this, setting aside more land for biofuels could increase the prices of everything from eggs to beef, or anything that relies on maize feed, which will have become more expensive.

In the mean time, both India and China have been making aggressive plans to increase biofuels productions fourfold by 2020.

Jatropha is starting to get recognition as a viable biodiesel crop, and both India and China are incorporating Jatropha into their biofuel plans. India has announced plans to plant about 7.7 million acres of Jatropha plantations by 2009, and have identified another 98.8 million acres of wasteland by then to grow the plant. In the mean time, China claims to have 2 million hectares of jatropha under cultivation, and has announced plans to plant an additional 11 million hectares across its southern states by 2010!

As both China and India get heavily involved in Fuel crops cultivation, the pressure on water resources, which are already over-exploited, will increase further. It therefore remains crucial for them to continue with their decision to plant Jatropha, which can grow well on rain-fed dry land, and will need a lot less water through irrigation.

This strategy will go a long way towards reducing competition for scarce water between the food and fuel uses of arable lad. Most importantly, good plantation management will ensure that valuable water resources are not misused or wasted in the planting of Jatropha.

In the face of these developments, there is a critical need for forums and summits to promote an exchange of ideas over Jatropha, as investment into the plant is expanding rapidly. At JATROPHAWORLD 2008, our panel of experts will deliver their analysis of plantation management and the best farming practices, including water management.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of this authoritative summit on Jatropha. Register for JATROPHAWORLD 2008 today!

The success of Jatropha hinges upon a greater understanding of the plant, and these challenges so as to meet them and defeat them.

Amongst the challenges to the commercial viability of Jatropha are issues surrounding Jatropha’s agronomy. Jatropha has been proven to grow abundantly in the wild, but it has never been properly ‘domesticated’. What do I mean by this?

Jatropha yields are not predictable. Claims of yields exceeding 15 tons a hectare and more modest claims of 2 tons a hectare can leave the investor confused over the real figures.

There is also a lack of a proper definition on the ideal conditions suited for the growth of Jatropha. With claims that Jatropha can grow in a desert, in cool climes and in degraded land, there is a need for more awareness of research being done into the agronomy of Jatropha to determine the ideal climatic conditions to ensure maximum yields.

In addition to this, the potential environmental impacts of large-scale Jatropha cultivation are not properly understood at all; with more developing countries implementing Jatropha cultivation as a solution to rural poverty, the need to understand Jatropha’s long term impact on the environment is critical to ensure sustainable development.

A lack of understanding and knowledge of the basic agronomics, coupled by a premature push to cultivate Jatropha might result in unproductive agriculture, and the tremendous potential of Jatropha might remain unfulfilled.

In addition to this, there are other challenges to Jatropha’s commercial viability, including challenges of storing and processing Jatropha Oil. As Jatropha oil is highly acidic, it has the tendency to degrade quickly if not handled properly through the supply chain. The degradation of the oil will reduce its commercial value considerably, and increase the cost of processing it. Similarly, Jatropha seeds also have the problem of degrading if not carefully stored and handled from the moment they are picked.

It makes sense that a bio-diesel entrepreneur should focus on the building up relationships with experts in the field, who can provide them with the latest updates on Agronomy findings, as well as other strategic development strategies for the Jatropha cultivation and Biodiesel manufacturing ambitions.

This is why you should be at JATROPHAWORLD 2008!
JATROPHAWORLD 2008 is the summit that everyone who is thinking about investing in Jatropha, who have already invested in Jatropha and who are currently involved with Jatropha projects right now must attend!

Register today, and evaluate for yourself, the commercial potential of Jatropha, and find out new technological developments and findings, which will soon make these challenges a thing of the past.

According to the United Nations, almost half of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day. In the mean time, the developed and developing world’s energy needs have been expanding exponentially. The high cost and inaccessibility of fossil fuels, leaves approximately 2 billion people worldwide without reliable energy sources, without refrigeration, basic communication, heat, or even light.

Statistics show that two-thirds of the population in the developing world, where poverty is at its peak, derives their incomes from agriculture.

Put in this context, Jatropha has enormous potential to change their situation for the better.

Farmers have traditionally cultivated the Jatropha Curcas tree to contain livestock. They have also used the oil for lighting lamps and manufacturing medicinal soaps.

With the demand for Jatropha biodiesel, there will be increasingly widespread commercial cultivation of Jatropha.

Farmers could easily cultivate the tree, which reportedly produces five to six harvests of seeds annually from its third year. The tree is also reported to have a fifty year lifespan according Chinese officials, who have been working with the UNDP to launch “Green Poverty Reduction in China” a major project aimed a reducing poverty in China’s poorest in the Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunan provinces in southwest China.

There are many who believe that the cycle of poverty can be broken by Jatropha Cultivation, as this dedicated crop has a huge potential for replication world -wide, with the potential for improving the livelihood of many more of the world’s poorest.

At the community level, it is argued that farmers who produce dedicated energy crops can increase their incomes and grow their own supply of affordable and reliable energy for their own internal needs.

At the national level, cultivating biofuel crops will generate new industries, new technologies, new jobs and new markets.

At the same time, producing more biofuels will reduce energy expenditures and allow developing countries to put more of their resources into health, education and other services for their neediest citizens.

But this is all a very pretty picture that is still in the process of being realized.

If one scans the investments into Jatropha today, it is aimed at large commercial cultivation, as doubts prevail over the feasibility of small-scale Jatropha cultivation.

So, can Jatropha really end poverty?

With dedicated poverty reduction programs organized by governments and NGOs, the easy cultivability of Jatropha and increasing demand for Biodiesel, it seems that Jatropha can indeed be a viable solution to improve the standard of living of the world’s poorest.

However, this still remains an issue of debate, with detractors pointing out that Jatropha cannot be cultivated on a small scale and its yields are unstable. In addition to this, fears remain over the use of valuable water resources to ensure optimum yields from the Jatropha tree.

Discussion about the socio-economic impact on Jatropha will be on the agenda at JATROPHAWORLD 2008, a conference which brings together on a single platform, the best expertise to discuss and analyze the present and future dynamics of JATROPHA from a technological socio-economic angle.

At JATROPHAWORLD 2008, you will be able to engage our panel of experts in active debate and discussion about Jatropha’s potential to alleviate poverty, and weigh both the positive and negative impacts of widespread Jatropha Cultivation.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of this authoritative summit on Jatropha. Register for JATROPHAWORLD 2008 today