Introduction to PFD's JANI Program
What is JANI?
JANI stands for Jatropha Agriculture and Nutrition Initiative.
JANI is a three-year, multi-sectoral initiative, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress Program. In areas that already grow Jatropha, JANI partners work to inform farmers of the potential value of this resource, providing advice on increasing production and yields. JANI seeks to optimize the use of Jatropha, encouraging farmers to sell any surplus production.
Why JANI?
JANI has the following three objectives:
• Increase household incomes and employment through the sustainable cultivation of Jatropha and the sale of its products.
• Improve food security and nutrition through sustainable vegetable and livestock production.
• Ensure strengthened capacity of local organisations to meet member’s needs.
Where is JANI?
JANI targets the following areas:
How is JANI implemented?
JANI is being implemented by providing smallholder farmers technical support and training. This is done through promotion campaigns, group formation, training and training of the trainers (TOT). Moreover, this is done through the help of the implementing partners.
The JANI project initially commenced in April 2009 and launched on the 8th of August, 2009 during agricultural exhibitions in Arusha, Tanzania.
JANI is implemented by the following partners: Partners for Development (PFD), Pamoja Inc., Jatropha Products Tanzania Ltd. (JPTL), Faida MaLi, Global Service Corps (GSC) and Local Outreach Partners (LOPs).
For more on the implementing partners, click here. Further information on how partners are linked to JANI can be viewed from their websites.
Test your Jatropha knowledge! Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE?
1. Jatropha and other biofuel energy crops take over fields needed to produce food and can damage national food security because vast areas are needed to produce quantities of biofuel.
TRUE: Multi-national investors are securing land for biofuel production to grow huge plantations. Some land grabbing has displaced local populations. Even some small farmers are planting Jatropha in fields.
FALSE: We do not have to sacrifice farmers or farmlands to produce biofuel. For a typical farm family with 2 fields of 1 acre each, Jatropha hedges around these fields will yield 1500 - 2000 kg of seed that contain about 350 litres of oil. 100,000 such hedges will yield 35 million litres. 2.5 million hedges will yield 875 million litres which equals the estimated national demand for biodiesel. In other words, household hedges can make Tanzania self sufficient in biodiesel. In addition, Jatropha hedges also serve to protect crops from grazing animals, reduce soil erosion and demarcate ownership.
2. Jatropha production is low per land unit. since farmers have to invest in planting and field maintenance of Jatropha for years before it begins producing, it is probably not worth doing.
TRUE: Since plant breeding has not yet been done in east Africa to develop improved varieties of Jatropha, production is still low. On plantations, labor cost of maintaining and harvesting Jatropha could eliminate profits. Some large Jatropha growers in Tanzania have given up for economic reasons.
FALSE: Smallholder management of Jatropha hedges is inexpensive, as maintenance and harvesting are done with household labor in between other chores. 1500 - 2000 kg of seed from hedges around two acres of fields will sell for Tsh 300,000 - Tsh 400,000 at current prices. If a farm family uses the manual ram press to extract the 350 litres of oil from these seeds, the net revenue from selling the oil is Tsh 616,000. Hedges can double the agricultural income of rural households. Once established, Jatropha lives for 50 years, producing seed even when rainfall is poor, thus diversifying farmers’ risk.
3. The market for Jatropha oil is strong at current levels of production, but price is unstable, which makes the long-term investment in Jatropha production a big gamble for farmers.
TRUE: Local markets easily absorb all available seed and oil now, yet this sector is still very immature and likely to experience ups and downs as seed volume increases, new buyers come in, etc. Kenya recently had a boom-and-bust cycle in Jatropha when inflated prices drew many into production only to be disappointed when prices returned to normal. Price fluctuations can be expected to continue.
FALSE: To produce Jatropha only for sale, as if it were a cash crop like sisal or cotton, misses the vital uses of the plant at household level. Jatropha oil lamps give affordable light from home-grown fuel. Village production of Jatropha soap uses only oil and caustic soda to make a fine soap with medicinal qualities. A Jatropha-fueled cookstove that is now under field testing will greatly reduce women’s work fetching firewood. Smallholder Jatropha improves rural life and increases income. So even if distant markets are not always reliable, direct household use of Jatropha improves the quality of life.
