Abstract
The “Jatropha for Galapagos” (JFG) project in Ecuador aims to progressively replace diesel with jatropha oil in the generation of electricity in The Galapagos Islands. Thus, understanding and motivating the participation of jatropha suppliers is a priority for the sustainability of JFG. For this reason, the factors influencing their decision-making to participate in the project have been identified and analyzed using a binomial logit model. The results show that factors found to positively influence the likelihood of participation include, amongst others, the supplier’s experience within the project, their participation in local organizations, and the degree of satisfaction with the price of jatropha oil. In addition, children from producer families’ collaboration in the harvest of jatropha increases the overall likelihood of participation within the project. Similarly, the distance to the collection center positively influences the chances of participation. Conversely, those suppliers with higher wages and those who declared that jatropha harvest starts in April have a reduced likelihood of participating in the project. The findings obtained from this project can help decision-makers develop new measures to improve the sustainability of the project through initiatives to motivate the participation of jatropha suppliers in the program.
Highlights
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the energy sector is responsible for about 60% of greenhouse gas emissions [1]
The marginal effect for the “participation of children in jatropha harvest” variable shows that suppliers whose children collaborate in the collection of jatropha fruits are 3.70% more likely to participate in the project than those who do not receive help from their children
As to the effect of the suppliers’ perception of jatropha price, its marginal effect shows a positive effect on the decision to participate. Those suppliers who consider jatropha price to be very satisfactory were 3.35% more likely to participate in the project than those who declared different perceptions
Summary
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the energy sector is responsible for about 60% of greenhouse gas emissions [1]. One possible way to combat climate change within this sector consists of supporting the deployment of renewable energies, such as biofuels, as a way to substitute conventional fossil fuels. While securing food and energy supplies are amongst the most serious challenges faced by developing countries, sustainable modern bioenergy can promote agricultural, social, and economic development that will help address these challenges [2] In this context, some developing countries are promoting bioenergy production through the use of Jatropha curcas as an energetic source, due to its potential social, economic, and environmental positive effects in small-scale production models [3,4,5]. Examples of such rural electrification projects can be found in developing countries such as Indonesia, Tanzania, Mali, and India [6,7,8,9,10]
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