Potential changes in biomass flows due to India's biodiesel policy: a comparative material flow analysis of the Jatropha Curcas and Prosopis Juliflora economies in Tamil Nadu, India

India's current biodiesel policy mandates the use of non-edible oilseed feedstocks grown exclusively on 'wastelands', the country's term for degraded and marginal lands. In recent years, the Government of India has heavily supported the use of Jatropha curcas as a biodiesel feedstock because of its alleged ability to thrive in marginal landscapes. However, India's wastelands are often rich in local biomass resources that support a host of livelihood and industrial activities. This poster will present a comparative material flow analysis of the biofuel and biomass economies in Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu. The South Indian state of Tamil Nadu has been one of the leading promoters of Jatropha biodiesel production and the areas targeted for Jatropha cultivation are densely covered with a local biomass resource, Prosopis juliflora. At present, Prosopis is used as a fuelwood by local villagers and as a feedstock for brick, charcoal, cement and electricity production. Our analysis will evaluate the resource flows of these two energy economies and assess the environmental tradeoffs of replacing Prosopis with Jatropha.