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Fighting Poverty in the Dry South of Madagascar
Plant oil as a diesel substitute offers new income streams for smallholder
farmers in remote regions - on the basis of the drough-resistant
plant jatropha
 www.betterplace.org/projects/20
The "spiky" south of Madagascar is the
island's poorest region. This project provides the seed capital for
a social enterprise that aims to create a new source of income for
the local community based on the production of vegetable oils. The
energy plant Jatropha grows on infertile soil and doesn't replace
the cultivation of aliments. Instead it represents an additional income
opportunity for the local farmers on otherwise fallow land.
The project provides financing for the initial 25
hectares of land for the pilot project. With the assistance of GEXSI
, the local people will acquire further funding for a bigger plantation
that will have a significant impact on fighting poverty in the region.
The oil will both be sold locally (for the operation of diesel generators
providing electricity) and as a diesel substitute to run mini vans
in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
This project builds on the experiences gained from a pilot project
in the central highlands. GEXSI will provide the necessary technical
expertise.
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