Sustainability

Sustainable Agronomic Management Practices

Domestication of Jatropha curcas for oil production on smallholder farms in the Sudano-Sahelian region with focus on Mali, 2009-2013

MBSA is member of a research consortium led by the Forest & Landscape Denmark part of University of Copenhagen and funded by the DANIDA Research Council (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark). The project, started on January 2009, has as main objectives the exploration, evaluation, conservation, sustainable production and utilization of genetic resources of Jatropha curcas for oil production in Mali and screening of possible alternative species for the same purpose. The improved Jatropha varieties may increase the yield from 1.5 to 2.5 ton/ha with higher oil yield per ton, thus making it a more profitable crop for farmers and for commercial transformation of oil into biodiesel.

Building Smallholder Farmer Incomes and Safety Nets in Mali with Jatropha Curcas and Drought Tolerant Maize, 2009-2012

The government of Mali has launched a presidential Initiative to increase maize production throughout the country. CIMMYT has developed open pollinated drought tolerant maize and striga resistant “early” and “extra early” varieties that have produced very positive results on experiment stations and farmer fields in Mali (yields of 4.23 – 4.76 ton/ha). This research seeks to evaluate the potential of intercropping Jatropha with these new drought tolerant maize varieties in order to provide an improved and sustainable farming system. The research will also assess the increase of farmers’ incomes (cost/benefit analysis) through the adoption of this system and the benefits regarding food security and agricultural risks reduction. Research activity is carried out by MBSA with the sponsorship of USAID and the expertise of IER’s Chief Maize agronomist, Institute d’Economie Rurale). The extension work is financed through the IICEM project that allows to rapidly upscale the program and support thousands of farmers to improve their food security.

Impacts of tropical land use conversion to Jatropha on rural livelihoods and ecosystem services in Mali, 2010-2013

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of Leuven is the lead university for the ERA-ARD project “Impacts of tropical land use conversion to Jatropha on rural livelihoods and ecosystem services in Mali, India and Mexico”. The project aims to assess sustainability, economic, social and environmental impacts (including water footprint and impact on regional water balance) of the production of Jatropha in Mali, India and Mexico. With the data obtained, we aim to identify most suitable ecoregions for maximising yields, taking into account economies of scale of production (smallholder versus large-scale plantings) and the extent of economic, social and environmental production risks. This gained insight will be shown in integrative suitability and risk maps. Further the project aims to identify current shortfalls in land tenure systems or legislation and will formulate guidelines as to ensure social sustainability and equity of bioenergy projects.

Turning art into Sustainability

The vision of happy® Xmas trees is to create the world’s biggest cultural and travelling event during Christmas and become a household notion. Happy® Xmas trees objective is to create a charity auction for the environment. .
This fundraising aims to support Malibiocarburant foundation in its effort to train farmers to plant Jatropha trees thus creating income for thousands of Malian smallholders and in a considerable way bring the global environmental challenges to the attention of all.

Development of pro-poor carbon offsets schemes – Foundation Mali Biocarburant

Mali Biocarburant S.A. (MBSA) is one of the few successful businesses in Africa where Jatropha is intercropped in existing farming systems and whereby carbon credits have generated upfront finance (Future Emission Reduc­tions) for a business investment project with small-scale producers.

MBSA developed this scheme with Trees for Travel and KIA Motors who purchase the Jatropha credits since 2007. These funds are used to train farmers in Jatropha intercropping as well as improve their food and cash crops. In 2010 a total of more than 1,200 ha of drought tolerant maize was planted  in collaboration with Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER).

Building farmers’ income and safety nets with pro-poor carbon offset – Foundation Faso Biocarburant

A business plan was developed to work out a pro-poor carbon credit offset scheme. The business plan was accepted by ICCO and the “Foundation Faso Biocarburant” was established. ICCO provides a loan to the Foundation and a grant to finance the certification. The main intervention of this project is to:

1. Strengthen the capacity of farmers to integrate Jatropha in their farming systems, thus improving and diversifying income;

2. Foster sustainable agroforestry farming systems that reduce soil erosion, improve soil fertility and increase yields of basic food crops with up to 20%;

3. Add value by producing reliable carbon credits that mitigate climatic change and channel additional income to smallholder farmers;

4. Create access to rural energy

The Faso Biocarburant Foundation (FBF) implements this project and they will gradually train a total of more than 13,000 farmers to integrate Jatropha in their farming systems. These farmers are organised in two organizations: 1)Federation Producteurs dans le District de Sissili, Burkina Faso and 2) Federation Groupements des Producteurs de Nayala, Burkina Faso. The result will be a total planting of more than 10,000,000 Jatropha shrubs and approximatively 360,000 tons of CO2 fixed and sold as Certified Emission Reductions with the support of Bridge Builders. These CERs will be sold to the Fair Climate Fund.

Competitive biodiesel production
 

Introducing ethanol based biodiesel production in Mali

In June 2010, Mali biocarburant with the support of FACT Foundation started a project that combines innovative small-scale ethanol drying with biodiesel production. The project aims to produce FAEE at the MBSA production facility in Koulikoro, using anhydrous ethanol produced in Mali. For the trans-esteferication process, methanol is used to produce a Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME), however, also ethanol could be used to produce FAEE. This ethanol is much cheaper and is of biological origin, and thus “greener” than the (fossil) methanol. However, the locally available ethanol still contains some 4% of water, and needs to be upgraded to at least 99.5% purity before it can be used for biodiesel production. The objective of the project is the installation of a small scale ethanol drying unit, and the use of this ethanol for the production of FAEE (Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters).

Feeding biogas production from Jatropha press cake into Multi Functional Platforms

The main objective of the project is to field-test the production of biogas and its use as an MFP fuel at Koulikoro factory in Mali. The project is to provide operational experience with the biogas production and its use, the application of digester effluent as fertilizer, and lead to improvements in both the digester model as the MFP engine adaptations. It should ultimately lead to an uptake of biogas use for MFPs in Mali and elsewhere in Africa, thereby improving the economics of MFP operations and reducing the energy dependency of rural communities.

The direct beneficiaries of the pilot project are the inhabitants of the selected villages, in particular the MFP clients and the operators of the MFP and, through them, their families. The cost reductions would allow lower prices for the MFP services, and/or better wages for the operators.

Biogas from Agro-Residues: Decentralised Energy Production Serving Rural communities in Mali

This project is aimed at producing rural energy from agro-residues, i.e. biogas from press cake (a Jatropha by-product) and cow manure. This will improve the economics of the Jatropha production chain as a whole and in the producing villages. The strategy for the Oil Extraction Site (OES) is to have rural energy supply and improved rural business progress simultaneously.
MBSA carries out this project in collaboration with Fact Foundation and ANADEB. The project is funded through AGENTSCHAP NL.

Toxicity Assessment and Neutralization of Phorbol Esters in Jatropha Seedcake By-Product and Processing Stream

Jatropha is currently being grown as an energy crop in West Africa.  Pilot plants for extraction of high quality biodiesel fuel from its seeds are in operation in Mali. Although the jatropha seedcake by-product is high in crude protein and might have value as a livestock feed, several compounds in the jatropha seed are toxic to humans and animals. Of primary concern are the phorbol esters, which are considered procarcinogens and are resistant to degradation by processing. Thus, a relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated processing technology to detoxify the phorbol esters in jatropha seedcake by-product could provide a value added, alternative protein source for livestock feed in West Africa. In a three phase approach to the problem, this research will (1) Track the fate of phorbol esters in the extraction process of jatropha seeds for biodiesel production, (2) Treat the jatropha seedcake by-product  to destroy the phorbol esters by oxidation, and determine how to detoxify the jatropha seedcake by-product, and (4) Determine the nutritive value and digestibility of the detoxified jatropha seedcake.