In assessing the social and economic impacts of jatropha farming in the Kavango region, two major conditions need to be borne in mind. The first is the increasing demand for biofuels, which reduce dependence on the fossil fuels that are becoming increasingly expensive. The second is the fact that rural farmers in Kavango live under trying conditions, made difficult by shortages of fertile soils, poor crop yields, and limited markets for any surplus farm production.