Green energy vs food security: Biofuels in Mozambique

TimesLive
Nov 13, 2009 10:13 AM By AFP

Nico Strydom probably knows as much as anyone about jatropha, the poisonous tree whose oily black seeds just might sprout a green energy revolution. But, as the soft-spoken forester admits during a tour of his jatropha fields in central Mozambique, that's not saying much.

"There's a lot of research that needs to be done. Jatropha is a relatively new plant," says Strydom.

He looks out over the 10-month-old, 1,000-hectare farm he runs for Sun Biofuels, a British-based company that hopes jatropha will turn African farmland into a fuel source for the 21st century.

"If anybody tells you he's an expert on jatropha, he's a liar," he adds.

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