William Kwendé, CEO of Agritech Group A sustainable, for-profit enterprise for West Africa, Agritech will plant 400,000 hectares of Jatropha intercropped with Corn, sunflower and soybean within the next ten years and process the harvests from these fields, which, upon maturity, will produce 1,000 million litres of Jatropha oil each year, or the equivalent of 17,200 barrels per day of biodiesel. Biodiesel from Jatropha will lessen the dependence on imported petroleum for energy needs and help mitigate climate change. It will also provide direct employment for thousands of West Africans and increase the standard of living of their families and communities. Jatropha is a cash crop for farmers; processed and converted into bio diesel and electricity, it is equally a source of affordable energy for consumers which enables a multitude of tasks – from pumping water to recharging a cell phone to operating a medical clinic to studying after the sun goes down. In addition, Agritech’s solar power systems will provide efficient, cost-effective lighting and modern irrigation solutions to thousands of families in rural communities not connected to the power grid.
