There is one factor here that people seem to be missing: much of Haiti's soil is so degraded that no food truly can grow on it. Jatropha does not require nutrient rich soil and in fact grows very well on nutrient-poor, arid soil. Because it is a perennial, the continued growth of the plant can actually begin to enrich the soil so that food CAN be grown on it, maybe through multicropping or shade gardens. Or, if after three years the jatropha still does not have a good market or the people do not have a good product, at least at the end they could cut down the bushes and be left with soil that has enough nutrients in it to grow something they can really eat.