Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Tanzania, a Jatropha project is reported to have involved the acquisition of 9,000 ha
of land and the clearance of 11 villages home to 11,277 people (Cotula et al. 2008).
At a minimum, any land use changes that are proposed for biofuel expansion should
require local consent. All access routes to traditional watering points, fodder groups
and the like must remain open for local use.
Indirect changes in land use, also known as 'displacement' or 'leakage,' are trig-
gered by biofuel expansion elsewhere (Cotula et al. 2008). Although information on
this type of land use change is lacking in the literature on Jatropha, it is feasible that
Jatropha planted on higher-value lands could displace food crops into less fertile areas,
increasing the risk of conflicts between the 'new' and 'existing' farmers.
10.2.3 Household-level socio-economic impacts
are addressed
There are a multitude of ways that Jatropha, when grown locally and at smaller scales
such as outgrower schemes, can benefit local people. The use of the term 'Jatropha
system' in this chapter refers to the use of Jatropha in an integrated rural development
approach whereby Jatropha is used for a variety services, including as a source of oil,
living fence, soap production, lighting and cooking, and as fuel for engines (Henning
2004). In this way, a Jatropha system combines ecological, economic and income-
generating effects, the latter of which is particularly beneficial to women (Henning
1998). This section considers a number of ways in which Jatropha can enhance liveli-
hoods to benefit local people, and how health risks associated with Jatropha cultivation
and production can be minimised.
By-products from Jatropha are used locally to
support development
There are several ways in which Jatropha's by-products can be used to enhance
livelihoods, reduce conflict and support local development in rural areas:
1
Jatropha has many medicinal properties: the latex from Jatropha, for example, is
used to heal wounds, stop bleeding and to stop pain associated with the stings of
bees and wasps; fresh stems are chewed to strengthen gums and treat gum disease;
the bark has a purgative effect similar to that of the seeds; the root bark is made
into poultices and can be taken internally to expel worms and to treat jaundice;
leaves are used against malaria and to treat hypertension; and leaf sap is used
externally to treat hemorrhoids (Achten et al. 2007; Brittaine et al. 2010).
2
Parts of the Jatropha plant can be used as a biofertiliser when seed cake or presscake
that is left over after pressing the seeds to remove the oil is used as an organic
manure, thereby decreasing the need for external fertilisers (Green 2009) while
having potentially positive impacts on productivity (Rajagopal 2008). As a caveat,
however, the use of the seed cake as a fertiliser in edible crop production raises
bio-safety questions given the toxicity of the Jatropha plant (Achten et al. 2004).
3
Jatropha oil can be transformed into soap by adding a solution of sodium hydrox-
ide (caustic soda), and this simple technology has turned soap making into a viable
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