(Fortune Magazine) -- Can a poisonous plant become a biodiesel hero and help African economies in the process?

BP thinks so. It believes jatropha - an inedible plant used for hedges that was spread around the world centuries ago by Portuguese sailors - can dent global fuel demands without using up foodstuffs such as corn, soy and sugar cane, plus boost incomes in Africa and other impoverished regions.

Because it can grow year-round in arid soil and is inedible, jatropha won't innate food prices or take up valuable cropland. Africa is considered ideal because of its proximity to European markets and low land and labor costs. "Jatropha is low input," says Steve Douty, executive director of Dl Oils. "It survives where others don't. It also grows best 25 degrees south or north of the equator. A big chunk of Africa is in that band."

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