Minas Gerais, Brazil
In 2007, GAR signed a cooperation agreement with the “Instituto Volta ao Campo” (IVC) from the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil) for the cultivation of Jatropha curcas plants.
The contract provides for the planting of from 40,000 to 60,000 hectares overall by 2011. IVC has also given an undertaking to plan for a further 100,000 hectares of Jatropha cultivation between 2012 and 2022. The contract is for a period of at least 15 harvest years and can be extended for a further 15 years by mutual agreement.
Nine cooperatives, involving hundreds of local farmers, will take part in this project.
Research planned by GAR and IVC should improve region-specific seed quality, and higher-than-average yield quotas are anticipated in coming years. GAR will also manage extraction and processing of the final product
Instituto Volta ao Campo ("Return to Field Institute", known as IVC) is dedicated to promoting homestead agriculture in new settlements, and has accumulated more than 40 years of experience with local farmers and cooperatives. Their mode of operations is to offer training and support through cooperatives. The partnership with GAR is a major part of their effort to lead these cooperatives towards the production of financially viable crops.
Global Agricultural Resources
Rämistrasse 31
P.O. Box 551
CH-8024 Zürich
Switzerland
| Phone: | +41 44 269 92 00 |
| Fax: | +41 44 269 92 01 |
