Bunge, a global leader in oilseed processing, joins an industry-leading team of partners, including Flint Hills Resources, a refining and petrochemical company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Industries; Life Technologies Corporation, a global biotechnology tools company; and others that are collaborating with SG Biofuels to develop Jatropha as a viable source for cost-effective, sustainable crude plant oil.

The development of a successful market for Jatropha requires that all aspects of the value chain are met, from crop science and proper agronomics all the way through processing and refining. Bunge, together with Life Technologies and Flint Hills Resources, provides a fully integrated platform from which our customers can develop, produce and profit from large volumes of crude Jatropha oil.

—SG Biofuels President and Chief Executive Officer Kirk Haney

Jatropha curcas is a non-edible shrub native to Central America. Its seeds have high oil content, and can be processed to produce a high-quality energy feedstock. It can be effectively grown on marginal lands that are considered undesirable for food crops.

The company’s integrated breeding and biotechnology approach forms the foundation for its JMax Jatropha Optimization Platform, providing research agencies, growers and plantation developers with access to the company’s germplasm library, Jatropha curcas genome sequence, molecular markers and advanced biotech and synthetic biology tools to optimize elite Jatropha cultivars for unique growing conditions around the world.

SG Biofuels has introduced JMax 100, an elite Jatropha cultivar optimized for growing conditions in Guatemala, with projected yields 100% greater than existing commercial varieties. The company also recently announced it has developed hybrid seed production technology, resulting in greater yield, uniformity and vigor while significantly reducing handling and deployment costs for plantation developers.