{"id":9981,"date":"2025-04-04T11:27:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T14:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/pratica\/jovens-aproveitam-cactos-da-regiao-e-produzem-biocombustivel-para-a-comunidade\/"},"modified":"2025-06-27T10:22:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T13:22:34","slug":"jovens-aproveitam-cactos-da-regiao-e-produzem-biocombustivel-para-a-comunidade","status":"publish","type":"pratica","link":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/en\/case\/jovens-aproveitam-cactos-da-regiao-e-produzem-biocombustivel-para-a-comunidade\/","title":{"rendered":"Young people harness local cactus to produce biofuel for their community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

La Junta, a rural area of San Juan del Cesar, Colombia, is far from major commercial centers. So, even when local farmers have good harvests, they often can’t reap the expected benefits, as many are unable to afford the fuel costs needed to travel and sell their products. Observing this reality, three young people realized the solution was right before their eyes: in the cactus plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This desert plant has a high content of compounds and is rich in sugar, which makes it suitable for conversion into alcohol. Thus, it can be transformed into biofuel to power vehicles. The creation, named \u201cBiocombustible Juntero,\u201d received an honorable mention at Solve for Tomorrow Colombia in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students carried out a process similar to that of ethanol, a common fuel in Latin America as an alternative to gasoline. The cactus was chosen because it is very abundant in La Junta and could be collected for free. \u201cIn fact, it\u2019s a plant considered invasive since there\u2019s no control over its spread. Now, we\u2019re giving it a purpose with a great benefit,\u201d explains the mediator teacher<\/a>, Stefany Rodriguez, who is a Mining Engineer and Math teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two 11th-grade students and one from 10th grade participated\u2014the final years of compulsory education. Each was responsible for a task: Jos\u00e9 Jos\u00e9 O\u00f1ate handled prototyping, Estefany Montero led the research and problem structuring, while Amalfi Sara focused on validation, analysis with experts, and interviews with transporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea was to offer an affordable and sustainable solution, especially for the community\u2019s transporters and farmers. \u201cWe saw the difficulty within our own families. This is a community that is constantly limited in its development due to high transportation costs and difficulty accessing fuel,\u201d says Rodriguez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to her, some student\u2019s relatives would lose part of their agricultural production because they couldn\u2019t afford transportation to distant markets. \u201cWe thought: how can we change this? Not only to relieve the burden on the community but also to show that even from a rural area like ours, we can make a difference,\u201d the teacher recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The young trio had the opportunity to get hands-on with every stage of the process, from collecting the cactus to mixing and testing in the lab.<\/em>
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Learning begins with the teacher<\/strong>
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The educator is also from San Juan del Cesar, but from the urban area. Working in the rural area of La Junta has been a challenge for her, especially due to lack of internet connectivity. \u201cWe tried to take advantage of that limitation and explore other strategies with our students,\u201d she shares. One of the ways was to implement Project-Based Learning. So, when she came across a Solve for Tomorrow announcement, she decided to apply with her students. She guided around 30 projects, resulting in three finalist projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously, the teacher had no experience with Design Thinking but learned throughout the program through training and mentorships. One of the practices she adopted was actively listening to the target audience\u2014from Empathy to Testing. \u201cWe went out into the field, conducted interviews, and with every progress, we shared it with the transporters,\u201d she recalls. Around ten farmers were interviewed, and most said they were willing to use the biofuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the research in hand, the team designed a mobile biorefinery lab capable of processing the biomass of desert plants into a renewable energy source. After processing the cactus biomass, the group fermented it using local microorganisms adapted to the desert conditions of the rural area. This biofuel was then distilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The school lab was essential for conducting chemical experiments.<\/em>
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\n Eureka Moment! <\/h5>\n

The tests were conducted in the lab with a car engine. Initially, they ground the cactus manually, but the process was too time-consuming. \u201cThe kids were exhausted, it was tedious. So I asked: how can we make this more efficient?\u201d recalls Rodriguez. That\u2019s when they had the idea to use a blender the teacher brought from home. They also noticed that the container was too small and didn\u2019t allow for proper agitation for the chemical reaction they needed. \u201cWe swapped it for a larger container and made simple adjustments that made a big difference,\u201d she concludes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The future of our rural communities lies in seeking local, sustainable, and affordable alternatives, she believes.
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Producing renewable energy<\/strong>
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The team also used a bioreactor, a device that facilitates microorganism growth, which in this case were responsible for fermentation. Besides the teacher\u2019s blender, all materials were reused from what they already had at home, like plastic and glass containers. However, to measure results, they had to obtain a pH meter, an electroanalytical instrument used to measure the pH of a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, the team plans to continue scaling the project by conducting tests on a motorcycle, the community\u2019s primary means of transportation. \u201cI believe it was a very meaningful learning experience for the students, showing how to contribute to sustainable development,\u201d says the teacher. Rodriguez shares that the group reflected on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals<\/a> (SDGs) when designing the project. They initially focused on affordable and clean energy and later realized they also promote responsible production and consumption by repurposing organic waste. This reduces waste generation and fosters a circular economy<\/a> model, which involves sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling materials and products as much as possible to create added value. \u201cWith creativity, we bring solutions to many issues,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also notes that the experience encouraged students to express themselves more, as they were shy at first. \u201cTo teachers wanting to start a similar project, I would say it\u2019s important to fully experience every stage\u2014empathy, ideation, prototyping\u2014and to remember that every idea counts,\u201d she advises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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