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<br>Earlier this century, [jatropha](https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/ASX:MBT/Mission-NewEnergy-Ltd) was hailed as a "miracle" [biofuel](https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/shares/asx-mbt/mission-newenergy-limited/share-price). A simple shrubby tree belonging to Central America, it was wildly promoted as a high-yielding, drought-tolerant biofuel feedstock that might grow on degraded lands throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. |
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<br>A jatropha rush took place, with more than 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) planted by 2008. But the bubble burst. Low yields resulted in plantation failures nearly everywhere. The aftermath of the jatropha crash was tainted by allegations of land grabbing, mismanagement, and overblown carbon decrease claims. |
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<br>Today, some researchers continue pursuing the incredibly elusive guarantee of high-yielding jatropha. A comeback, they state, is reliant on splitting the yield problem and attending to the hazardous land-use concerns intertwined with its initial failure. |
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<br>The sole remaining large jatropha plantation remains in Ghana. The plantation owner claims high-yield domesticated varieties have been achieved and a new boom is at hand. But even if this return fails, the world's experience of jatropha holds crucial lessons for any appealing up-and-coming biofuel. |
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At the beginning of the 21st century, [Jatropha curcas](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited), an unassuming shrub-like tree belonging to Central America, was planted throughout the world. The rush to jatropha was driven by its pledge as a sustainable source of biofuel that might be grown on broken down, unfertile lands so as not to displace food crops. But inflated claims of high yields failed.<br> |
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<br>Now, after years of research and development, the sole remaining big plantation concentrated on growing jatropha is in Ghana. And Singapore-based jOil, which owns that plantation, declares the jatropha resurgence is on.<br> |
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<br>"All those business that stopped working, adopted a plug-and-play design of searching for the wild varieties of jatropha. But to commercialize it, you need to domesticate it. This is a part of the process that was missed out on [throughout the boom]," jOil CEO Vasanth Subramanian informed Mongabay in an interview.<br> |
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<br>Having found out from the mistakes of jatropha's previous failures, he states the oily plant might yet play a crucial function as a liquid biofuel feedstock, decreasing transport carbon emissions at the worldwide level. A new boom could bring fringe benefits, with jatropha likewise a possible source of fertilizers and even bioplastics.<br> |
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<br>But some researchers are hesitant, noting that jatropha has actually currently gone through one hype-and-fizzle cycle. They warn that if the plant is to reach complete capacity, then it is necessary to learn from past errors. During the very first boom, jatropha plantations were hindered not just by poor yields, but by land grabbing, logging, and social issues in nations where it was planted, including Ghana, where jOil runs.<br> |
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<br>Experts likewise recommend that jatropha's tale provides lessons for scientists and entrepreneurs exploring appealing brand-new sources for liquid biofuels - which exist aplenty.<br> |
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<br>Miracle shrub, significant bust<br> |
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<br>Jatropha's early 21st-century appeal stemmed from its pledge as a "second-generation" biofuel, which are sourced from turfs, trees and other plants not stemmed from edible crops such as maize, soy or oil palm. Among its several purported virtues was a capability to flourish on degraded or "minimal" lands |
