Mission & Method
Bio Energy Resources Ltd (BERL) is a Malawi based bio-fuel company. We’re working to help meet the world’s energy needs in a way that combats the climate crisis, alongside providing a substantial, additional income for our smallholder farmer partners.
BERL provide resources, training and on-going support to smallholder farmer partners to grow Jatropha Curcas trees as a boundary to their other crops. We do not strip or burn land to plant, or interfere with food crops. Jatropha trees produce a non-edible nut which we buy from our contracted smallholder farmers. The nuts are processed into two products: a bio-oil and an effective organic fertiliser. The bio-oil can be blended with diesel to create a bio-fuel, substantially lowering harmful emissions. The fertiliser is effective, organic and more affordable than other fertilisers available in Malawi, which are generally expensive, imported and inorganic.
Goals
BERL was founded in 2006 and since has planted millions of trees, working with farmers across Malawi. Over the years we have been learning, developing and refining our processes for successful farmer partnership, Jatropha cultivation, large scale logistics and production.
Now, BERL has secured access to a brand new variety of Jatropha tree, with up to 500% improvement in yield over the current, traditional variety, offering a much greater return to farmers. With higher yielding trees and our proven, refined operational model, and a large and growing demand for our products, BERL is ready to scale. We are actively seeking funding to scale up, with a plan that will plant over 30 million trees in the next 5 years, and partner with over 75,000 smallholder farmers.
75,000+farmers
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Growing the new higher yield trees will allow farmers to greatly increase their annual income from a sustainable additional source, making a huge difference to some of the world’s poorest farmers.
30+ million Trees
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Our growth plan will plant over 30 million trees in the next 5 years, as a boundary crop. This will not only improve soil quality, but capture hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Lower Emission Energy
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Jatropha straight vegetable oil (JSVO) can be mixed with diesel to create a bio-fuel which reduces harmful emissions. Further, Jatropha based bio-fuels have been proven to give better engine performance.
8 SDGs
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BERL’s project contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13 and 15
These include: No Poverty, Gender Equality, Clean Energy, and Climate Action
A profitable, sustainable model for Jatropha biofuel production
Our Model
BERL has trialled, iterated and refined their model of working with smallholder farmers at scale to grow Jatropha as a boundary crop. Our detailed processes for each stage not only maximise efficiencies but ensure we collaborate sensitively with communities, use only suitable (non-forest, not unallocated communal) land, and prevent child labour.
A high level view of our model is as follows:
1. Jatropha Cultivation
Smallholder farmer ‘clubs’ are formed and provided with seeds and trained by BERL to grow and plant Jatropha Curcas as a boundary crop. Each farmer grows 400-600 trees.
Our methodology protects other food crops and ensures no deforestation occurs. Jatropha Curcas is mildly toxic to animals and thus also offers the added bonus of protecting the farmers’ crops when grown as a boundary.
2. Fruit Harvesting & Dehulling
Smallholder farmer partners harvest and sell Jatropha nuts to BERL.
This provides the farmers with an extra income at the point in the year when times are leanest.
Jatropha has a different harvest time from other crops which ensures no conflict with food crop production.
3. Transport
BERL purchases the Jatropha nuts at district buying centres with easy access to areas of agricultural trade and supply which farmers already attend.
Thereafter nuts are transferred to nearest factory for processing
4. Processing
The nuts are primarily cold-pressed to extract the oil. Our organic seed-cake fertiliser is produced as a by-product.
BERL uses hydro-electricity for production.
5. Sales and Distribution
The oil is sold first to the Malawi market, and then within our scale-up plans may be sold internationally as well.
Seed-cake fertiliser is sold to the Malawian agricultural market.