Biofuel Plantations
India is aggressively promoting biofuel plantations such as Jetropha in both forests and non forest areas. The nation plans to bring 14 million ha under Jetropha plantations of which 9 million ha are degraded forest areas.
WWF believes that biofuel can provide diverse sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, additional incomes for rural communities and contribute to development under the right conditions. However, biofuel development must be very carefully planned, implemented, and continually monitored for its environmental and social sustainability. Depending on which crops are produced, where and how, biofuel developments can cause significant negative environmental and social impacts, including deforestation, biodiversity loss, soil erosion, excessive water use, conflicts over land rights and land use, food shortages and staple food crop price spikes. It is also acknowledged that inappropriately developed biofuel production can lead to increased poverty and loss of traditional tenure rights.
WWF will only support biofuel that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
WWF-India is concerned about the impact of large scale plantation of jatropha on the forests, biodiversity and wildlife and initated scoping studies in specific areas, including those in Terai Arc landscape and South Western Ghat Landscape.
WWF will only support biofuel that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
WWF-India is concerned about the impact of large scale plantation of jatropha on the forests, biodiversity and wildlife and initated scoping studies in specific areas, including those in Terai Arc landscape and South Western Ghat Landscape.
Jatropha cultivation at a nursery in Viratnagar