On June 2, 2008, Kijani Energy, through its Mozambique subsidiary Odeveza S.A., signed an agreement with the Instituto Agrário de Chimoio for agronomic research on Jatropha Curcas. Given Jatropha’s status as an un-researched plant and a wild crop, Kijani Energy expects that substantial improvements in fruit yields and oil content are attainable in the medium-term. Domesticating another oil crop, Jojoba, resulted in a 10-fold increase in seed yield (ICRISAT, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics).

The agreement with IAC provides Kijani Energy with access to local provenances and trial plots. In addition, as a teaching institution, IAC will serve as a medium for the dissemination of best agronomic practices to Jatropha smallholders.