jatropha: money doesn’t grow on trees

The document outlines ten reasons why jatropha is an unsustainable investment, noting that yields are often lower than claimed and the crop requires significant water and fertile land rather than thriving on marginal soils. It highlights negative impacts including the displacement of local communities, loss of biodiversity, and competition with food production. The text concludes that large-scale plantations are not economically viable and may increase greenhouse gas emissions due to land-use change.

• Jatropha does not provide the high returns promised by investment companies; yields are likely far lower than claimed even under optimal conditions, and there is no evidence that the crop works on a large scale.
• Contrary to claims that it thrives on marginal land, jatropha requires good soil, water, and fertiliser for good yields. Consequently, plantations are often established on fertile lands, which leads to competition with food production and undermines food security in countries such as Mozambique, Ghana, Tanzania, and India.
• Large-scale jatropha plantations have negative social and environmental impacts, including the forced displacement of local communities without compensation, the destruction of biodiversity-rich forests, and the creation of low-paying, short-term jobs.
• Jatropha is unlikely to significantly reduce global fossil fuel use or guarantee a reduction in carbon emissions, as the clearing of forests and shrublands releases vast stores of carbon dioxide.
• Several jatropha investment projects have failed, with companies such as BioShape declared bankrupt in 2010 and others like D1 Oils and Flora EcoPower experiencing disastrous share price records.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2010). jatropha: money doesn’t grow on trees. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jatropha_FoEIsummary.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. jatropha: money doesn’t grow on trees. 2010. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jatropha_FoEIsummary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=jatropha: money doesn’t grow on trees |date=December 2010 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jatropha_FoEIsummary.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2010jatropha, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{jatropha: money doesn’t grow on trees}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2010}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jatropha_FoEIsummary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }