If you liked this story, share it with other individuals.

Earlier this century, jatropha was hailed as a “wonder” biofuel. A simple shrubby tree native to Central America, it was extremely promoted as a high-yielding, drought-tolerant biofuel feedstock that could grow on degraded lands across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
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 all over. The aftermath of the jatropha crash was tainted by allegations of land grabbing, mismanagement, and overblown carbon decrease claims.
Today, some researchers continue pursuing the incredibly elusive promise of high-yielding jatropha. A resurgence, they say, is dependent on cracking the yield problem and resolving the hazardous land-use concerns intertwined with its initial failure.
The sole remaining big jatropha plantation is in Ghana. The plantation owner claims high-yield domesticated ranges have actually been achieved and a new boom is at hand. But even if this comeback falters, the world’s experience of jatropha holds crucial lessons for any promising up-and-coming biofuel.
At the start of the 21st century, Jatropha curcas, 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 could be grown on deteriorated, unfertile lands so as not to displace food crops. But inflated claims of high yields fell flat.

Now, after years of research and advancement, the sole staying big plantation focused on growing jatropha remains in Ghana. And Singapore-based jOil, which owns that plantation, claims the jatropha resurgence is on.

"All those business that failed, adopted a plug-and-play model of scouting for the wild ranges of jatropha. But to advertise it, you require to domesticate it. This belongs of the process that was missed out on [during the boom],” jOil CEO Vasanth Subramanian told Mongabay in an interview.

Having gained from the mistakes of jatropha’s previous failures, he states the oily plant could yet play a crucial function as a liquid biofuel feedstock, reducing transport carbon emissions at the worldwide level. A brand-new boom might bring fringe benefits, with jatropha also a potential source of fertilizers and even bioplastics.

But some scientists are hesitant, noting that jatropha has actually currently gone through one hype-and-fizzle cycle. They caution that if the plant is to reach full capacity, then it is vital to gain from previous errors. During the first boom, jatropha plantations were hindered not only by bad yields, but by land grabbing, logging, and social problems in countries where it was planted, including Ghana, where jOil operates.

Experts also suggest that jatropha’s tale provides lessons for researchers and business owners checking out promising new sources for liquid biofuels - which exist aplenty.

Miracle shrub, significant bust

Jatropha’s early 21st-century appeal came from its guarantee as a “second-generation” biofuel, which are sourced from lawns, trees and other plants not stemmed from edible crops such as maize, soy or oil palm. Among its several supposed virtues was a capability to prosper on abject or “minimal” lands