The report called ’Jatropha: money doesn’t grow on trees’ warns about the growing evidence that the crop is failing to fulfill the expectations of the investors, while simultaneously failing to prevent climate change due to the environmental or social impacts of this monoculture.

Paul de Clerck, Economic Justice programme coordinator for Friends of the Earth Europe said: "European investment companies advertise that jatropha guarantees high returns on marginal soils — but their promises are far from realistic. Many projects have already been abandoned because yields have stayed below expectations, even on good soils”, according to a press release issued by Friends of the Earth International.

According to the environmentalist federation, companies listed on the stock market and that invested on jatropha such as D1 Oils, from the UK, or Flora Eco Power, from Germany, have registered disastrous prices of their shares.

In fact, British oil company BP abandoned a joint venture with D1 Oils due to its disappointing results, says Friends of the Earth. In July, 2007, both corporations had announced the creation of the D1-BP Fuel Crops joint venture to produce biodiesel from jatropha planted in South-East Asia, India, Southern Africa, Central America and South America. Around one million hectares were expected to be planted with jatropha in four years.

However, jatropha continues being presented by investment companies as a profitable business, which also provides raw material for the production of agrofuels, and thus supposedly contributing as a solution to climate change.

The investments are controversially fuelling land-grabs in Africa, displacing farmers and communities whilst competing with food production and water supplies, states Friends of the Earth International.

Mariann Bassey, food and agriculture coordinator for Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria said: "In Africa, farmland is taken away from communities and people’s livelihoods are destroyed for yet another false solution to climate change. Food prices are rising again, yet land is being snatched away to grow fuel for cars. We want agriculture that allows us to grow food for people", she demanded.

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