Investigating factors responsible for farmers' abandonment of Jatropha curcas L. as bioenergy crop under smallholder out-grower schemes in Chibombo District, Zambia

The early 2000s witnessed a global awareness on adoption of renewable and environmentally friendly energy with anticipated socio-economic benefits in developing countries. Jatropha curcas. L. (Jatropha) was the main bioenergy crop adopted for production under out-grower schemes in Zambia. However, recent studies report worldwide abandonment of Jatropha production. This study therefore investigated factors responsible for the abandonment of Jatropha production under out-grower schemes in Chibombo District, Zambia. A total of 110 smallholder farmers who participated in these out-grower schemes and one key informant were selected using snowball sampling. Primary data was collected using field observations and a cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews. Findings reveal that abandonment of Jatropha production was mainly driven by lack of market for the produce, and non-commitment of the sponsoring firm to contractual agreements under the out-grower schemes. Thus, more than 90% of the farmers did not earn income from the sale of Jatropha. To achieve optimal performance of these out-grower schemes, a supporting policy environment and legal framework enforcing compliance to contractual agreements are required. Further, such should be accompanied by creation of market opportunities for the crop as well as its price regulation.