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Jatropha Curcas is a perennial dedicated energy crop with a positive environmental and social impact. Perennial crops sequester much more carbon than annual crops due to much greater non-harvested Bio-Mass, both living and dead, built up over years, and much less soil disruption in cultivation. It can be grown on idle land in Brazil sustainably, on an industrial scale and at competitive cost. Its shed leaves form a mulch around the base of the plant, and the organic matter they produce enhance earthworm activity which improves the fertility of the soil.
Reforestation will take place through the planting of millions of jatropha trees on idle land. They will not displace food crops, on the contrary they will reforest previously deforested land. Moreover, since the Jatropha seed and the oil recovered from them are inedible, they will not compete directly with edible food oils.
Viridas is committed to the sustainable planting and harvesting of Jatropha and it's plantations will comply with the highest levels of sustainability demanded by the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED).
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