New Forms of Land Grabbing Due to the Bioeconomy: The Case of Brazil

Abstract

The present study discusses new forms of land grabbing related to biofuel production in the light of bioeconomic development. With a specific focus on Brazil, this article debates whether biofuel production is associated with (i) an expansion of agricultural land use—regarded as a process of unsustainable crop intensification or (ii) an increase in crop yield, driven by technical innovation with stable land use—intended as a form of sustainable intensification. We conclude that, in the case of Brazil, the current bioeconomy cannot be assumed to be environmentally sustainable. Starting from Brazil’s experience, the (apparent and latent) relationship between bioeconomy and land grabbing requires a refined investigation in both wealthier and emerging economies, with the aim of proposing effective strategies to achieve truly sustainable development in the primary sector.

Current Panorama, Practice Gaps, and Recommendations to Accelerate the Transition to a Circular Bioeconomy in Latin America and the Caribbean

“…In Brazil, efforts towards a bioeconomy could be seen from as early as 1975, as a political response to the 1970s' oil crisis, with the creation of the National Alcohol Program (Proálcool), the world's first large-scale biofuels program [17], whose mission was to stimulate the replacement of petroleum fuels with alcohol made from sugarcane [4]. In Brazil, a progressive law (Law 11.241) was approved in 2002, which led agriculturists to gradually reduce the burning of crop biomass and introduce mechanized harvesting, which practice is expected to reach 100% of sugarcane fields by 2021 and 2031 for areas that are mechanized and not yet mechanized, respectively [18].…”

“…The concept of biorefinery also seems to have been gaining prominence [14,102], promoting the identification of alternative (and with greater added-value) uses to certain raw materials and wastes [e.g., 18, 103. There have been reviews on the use of biomass but for specific countries such as Ecuador [71] and a review on domestic herbivores and food security, which included insights on Latin America as a whole [67]. It has also been observed [17] and reiterated [21] that the implications of a CBE, either positive or negative, need to be accounted for, since many of its benefits may be bypassed for being unknown. Moreover, unleashing the full potential for a CBE in LAC, besides further investigation, needs governmental support, through adequate policies and incentives [17,71].…”

“…It has also been observed [17] and reiterated [21] that the implications of a CBE, either positive or negative, need to be accounted for, since many of its benefits may be bypassed for being unknown. Moreover, unleashing the full potential for a CBE in LAC, besides further investigation, needs governmental support, through adequate policies and incentives [17,71].…”

Corporate Power in the Bioeconomy Transition: The Policies and Politics of Conservative Ecological Modernization in Brazil

“…If, on the one hand, agribusiness actors disproportionately have the instrumental power to get things done on a practical level due to their economic prowess, on the other they have been stimulated by the bioeconomy, in a positive feedback loop [28,71]. Continual expansion means the economic power base of corporate agribusiness grows.…”

Sustainability Outcomes of Green Processes in Relation to Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing: Systematic Review

“…Cudlinova et al [94] prefer to use the term "bioeconomy" to bring economics and ecology together to achieve sustainability. The enterprises seeking to optimize their environmental and social responsibility must necessarily focus on waste reduction techniques in production processes [95].…”