Friday September 5, 2008, 11:30 pm
A really good background article. I looked at one of the plants, Jatropha, and found a company which provides seed for plantation growing. It said it can be grown on marginal land and is drought tolerant, but to get good yields it really needs good growing condition.

That means jatropha will be competing against food production for the locals and winning. The really difficult part is that unlike palm oil, which is at least edible, this oil is poisonous.

I don't have a doubt that is just more economic colonialism.

The situation is worrisome. It could increase the need for food imports, and what happens when markets collapse as they do every so often?