Jatropha has traditionally been used by farmers in Mali as a shield crop and for erosion control but never as the main crop itself.

And lately, companies like Mali Biocarburant, a young Bamako-based biofuel company has launched jatropha farming campaigns among local farmers as a way of building their supply base of jatropha nuts. These nuts are then pressed to obtain jatropha oil, a biofuel. This campaign has had varying degrees of success.

Our central question: What determines whether or not a Malian farmer is able or willing to become a full time jatropha farmer? We've developed a survey and will be returning in the winter to collect more data. From our preliminary study, people have cited limited access to water, farming materials and adequate labor as deterrents to taking on jatropha as a cash crop for biofuels.