A Model to Determine Aptitude of Mozambique territory for cultivating and processing Jatropha curcas L. as a bioenergy crop

Jose Castro Coelho, Pedro Mateus

Agroecological Zoning, Bioenergy, Jatropha curcas L., Multicriteria analysis.

GALP Energia's Biofuels Business Development Unit considered it necessary to create a GIS-based model for identifying and assessing areas to support decision-making on the implementation of Jatropha curcas Linn (JCL) projects in Mozambique. From this need/challenge was born the present methodological proposal for the first prototype of the model. In summary, the identification and subsequent choice of new areas for JCL planting is structured in two phases, which consider:

Phase 1 - Macro-scale assessment of the logistics conditions of the sites, from the perspective of the industrial component. This first set of variables includes the qualitative assessment of the following 5 variables: Regional/national connections to the sea port; Local accesses; Electric network; Other support infrastructures; Land availability without DUAT assigned. The appraisal of each of these variables is made according to a scale of four levels of aptitude (High, Moderate, Reduced and Without aptitude), considering their impact on the ease and/or cost of installing and operating industrial units;

Phase 2 - assessment of the agroecological skills of the sites for culture, at the micro scale and from the agronomic perspective. This second set of variables includes the qualitative assessment of the following 7 variables: Climate; Soils; Vegetable Cover; Land availability, ownership and restrictions; Agricultural infrastructure and improvements; Water resources; People and population (availability of man-power). The assessment of each of these variables is made on a four-level fitness scale in view of their impact on the ease and/or cost of setting up and operating JCL plantations.

https://dx.doi.org/10.31873/IJEAS.7.04.14