Five years after the first Jatropha seedlings sprouted in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, local Farmers' Clubs are using a new bio-fuel center to process the oil contained in the seeds of this unusual tree. Similar to large coffee beans, the non-edible seeds produce a high-quality "green oil" suitable for bio-fuel engines, and versatile enough to be converted into soap, fertilizer and bio-pesticide.
Organized by ADPP Mozambique and the FACT Foundation, and supported by Planet Aid, the project involved 1,800 individuals belonging to 36 Farmers' Clubs. Together they helped plant and cultivate 600,000 Jatropha trees - far surpassing the original target of 250,000. At the bio-fuel center, farmers and other workers are being trained in various aspects of production, including seed cultivation and plant harvesting, oil production and refinement, and conversion of oil into other products.
