Netherlands-based Max Havelaar, a European Fair Trade pioneer, is working to make sure economic justice and human rights are not forgotten in the rush to find a profitable and sustainable biofuel to lead the green energy revolution. The organization is working with an energy company in the Netherlands to market Fair Trade carbon offsets.

The project is kicking off with a pilot program in Tanzania and is centered around the cultivation and harvest of the jatropha shrub. Jatropha Curcas has been receiving a lot of attention lately as having strong potential as a biofuel. Already India has reserved 11 million hectares of land for jatropha farming and has set agressive goals for national biofuel use. The government of Thailand has also taken the first steps toward embracing jatropha production. Jatropha is being farmed in Africa, Central and South America and the Carribean on smaller scales now and plans to expand farming of the plant are cropping up all over the place. And Smiling Earth Energy, an energy company based in Virginia, plans to process jatropha seeds grown in Mexico in a new $532 million biofuel refinery.

Jatropha produces seeds with up to 40 per cent oil content. When the seeds are crushed, the resulting oil can be burnt in a standard diesel car, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants. According to the World Agroforestry Centre, the jatropha plant is so promising as a biofuel source because it is drought-resistant, thrives even in desert climates and can grow on any type of soil. Also, it does not pose much of a threat to food crops, which is very important for subsistence farming cultures in the rural South. Jatropha seeds are deadly poisonous if ingested and its sap can irritate the skin, but these qualities also make the plant naturally resistant to insect pests and keeps it off the menu of grazing livestock. The plant grows quickly - forming a thick live hedge a month from planting - and is excellent for preventing soil erosion. Jatropha begins to yield from the second year and continues to do so for 40 years.

A study by Dr. Clive Richardson, conducted on behalf of the Royal Government of Thailand concluded that under well-managed circumstances, the massive cultivation of Jatropha curcas in Thailand will have social, economic and environmental benefits for the country: contributing to both fuel and food security. However, in order to ensure that the potential social benefits of jatropha farming are realized it is important to explicitly include basic labor and human rights in the process from the beginning. Fair Trade farming cooperatives provide a well-tested and ever-improving economic model for enforcing these standards where governments have failed for so long.

We’ll keep you updated about the progress of Max Havelaar’s Fair Trade carbon offset project.

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