Design of Resource Use : Case of Jatropha-Based Biodiesel in India

Abstract

The biofuel programme was promoted around the globe with mandate of decreasing the dependency on petroleum oil, reducing green house gas emissions, increasing agricultural profitability and as option for rural employment and development. There existed acceptable and popular perception that biofuel production is more economical to reduce petroleum oil dependency and green house gas emission primarily. However, this scalar approach is not found to be uniformly applicable across the world. The exploration of political economy of different regions provides varying priorities for promotion of biofuel programme based on the context, type of feedstock under use, technologies employed and the health of the economy.

 

The issue is not very different for India. Policy documents of government of India mentioned that local level institutions would be given responsibility for resources planning and development through the involvement of panchayat, providing first hand right of resources to local user and priority to local energy use and self-sufficiency. However, at the same time policy remained silent on technology inputs, research and development and institutional support for achieving objectives set for the local level sustenance for resource use and design. Policy became biased toward transport sector with announcement of mixing of biodiesel with petroleum diesel. Based on the meta-analysis of the existing literature this study raised basic questions toward the policy aim and ambition of jatrophabased biodiesel programme in particular for India and biofuel programme across world in general.