Jatropha—considered as the best source of biofuel among the various plant based fuel resources—is a drought-resistant, hardy bush of two-three meters that is notable for its ability to grow in poor soils and with rainfall as low as 250 millimeters per year. A low-input crop, the plant has been in use for many centuries across Latin America, Africa and Asia as a natural hedge and for medicinal uses. The plant originates from Central America and is widely cultivated in almost all tropical and subtropical climates. Due to its ability to grow on marginal land, Jatropha does not compete with food crops for land, making it a superior choice to the first-generation biofuels that are largely criticized for contributing to the increase in food prices.

Kijani Energy aims to grow Jatropha only on land which is not ideally suited for food crop production and which has not previously been populated. Jatropha oil is an environmentally safe, cost effective renewable source of non conventional energy and a promising substitute for diesel, kerosene and other fuel oils.

High density plantations of the species can be an ideal way of sequestering maximum solar energy over a short gestation period as Jatropha is fast growing and can be grown successfully on all kinds of barren and unproductive wastelands. Also it does not compete with food crops for land area, on the contrary, the rich organic manure obtained from Jatropha enrich the soils for increased food production.