Jatropha curcasfor rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa: agronomic and socio-economic sustainability

In the forthcoming years, 1-2 million hectares ofJatropha curcasL. are expected to be annually planted, reaching 12.8 million hectares worldwide by 2015. This considerable expansion is due to its products and by-products multiple uses and its amazing adaptability.J. curcasoil extracted by seeds is a promising renewable feedstock for biodiesel production and, together with the oil extraction by-products, it can be used in as cooking/lighting fuel, bio-pesticide, organic fertilizer, combustible fuel, and for soap making, contributing to mitigate environmental problems in developing countries. Nevertheless,J. curcasis not a “miracle tree”. Indeed, the full potential ofJ. curcasis far from being achieved and its talents are still to be supported by scientific evidences.The present Ph.D. thesis aims to: (i) detail each phase ofJ. curcasproductive chain from sowing to biodiesel and by-products, in order to logically organize the knowledge aroundJ. curcassystem, and to compare potentialities and criticalities ofJ. curcas; (ii) assess the socio-economic and environmental sustainability of smallholder local and decentralizedJ. curcasplantations, promoted by cooperation rural development cooperation projects in Sub-Saharan Africa; (iii) explore the effects of different pre-sowing treatments on germination behaviour ofJ. curcasseeds and to assess the growth of the seedlings; and (iv) investigate physiological responses, in term of growth and photosynthesis, ofJ. curcasseedlings exposed to a severe soil drought stress. The conducted studies confirmed that community-based initiatives onJ. curcasplantation could positively contribute to the rural livelihoods in developing countries. However, it is still necessary to fill some knowledge gaps and much more research is required for guaranteeing a full socio-economic and environmental sustainability ofJ. curcasused as a trigger of rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa.