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UN partnership to support greater use of bio-energy crops

03 November 2011 22:12 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The United Nations and a global crop technology company on Thursday announced a cooperation agreement in a bid to seek to tap new technologies that can support sustainable development through the use of bio-energy crops in tropical regions, UN officials said here, APA reports.

Energy crops, such as the Jatropha curcas flowering plant, can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel fuel usable in standard diesel engines, increasing the potential for developing countries to maximize their resources, create jobs and increase incomes in rural areas, said the officials.

The partnership deal was signed by the director-general of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Kandeh K. Yumkella, and the chief executive of Quinvita, Henk Joos.

"On the side of UNIDO, we see the potential of energy crops in developing countries. They can be key for producing green, renewable energy and for poverty reduction through the diversification of income for smallholder farmers. We will strive to combine the scientific, technical and financial resources of Quinvita and UNIDO to cooperate on the development of novel bio- energy crops," said Philippe Scholtes, the director of UNIDOâ€™s agribusiness development branch.

In a news release issued by UNIDO, the agency notes that Quinvita was chosen as a partner because of its experience, knowledge and technology used to work with Jatropha plantations, as well as its advancements working with other traditional and new industrial crops.

The two entities have already started cooperating in a project on the potential of bio-energy crops in West Africa, jointly implemented by the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) and the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE).