Sugarcane ethanol production in Brazil: an expansion model sensitive to socioeconomic and environmental concerns

Abstract

Brazilian agriculture is characteristically dynamic; land and production resources have a skewed ownership distribution; and agricultural production is essential for small holders of rural poor regions. Also, the main agricultural land use is composed of pastures where extensive livestock production prevails. Because of increasing demand Brazil is expected to expand its sugarcane-based ethanol production. Addressing concerns about social and environmental impacts of such an expansion requires careful consideration of the complexity of Brazilian agriculture in general and specifi c local conditions in particular. This perspective outlines an expansion model for sugarcane ethanol production that is sensitive to socioeconomic and environmental concerns. Through integration with the prevailing land use, the model avoids the usual displacement of extensive livestock production to remote regions, causing leakage effects with deforestation and promotes milk and beef cattle intensifi cation and investment opportunities for local society. The expansion model is feasible at current market conditions and should have good prospects for complying with sustainability criteria within various certifi cation schemes presently under development. A case study, developed in the Pontal do Paranapanema region (state of São Paulo, Brazil) illustrates the model in agrarian reform settlements.

Identification of grain areas replaced by sugarcane and analysis of the relationship with family farming production in the state of Goiás

“…WALTER et al (2011) stated that Brazil will continue to be a major producer of ethanol in the global market in the coming years. Ethanol production site conditions are relatively favorable, taking into account factors such as the availability of land and climate, the long-term experience, existing technology and the size of the domestic market.…”

“…Goiás participates with 8.52% of the entire area for the cultivation of sugarcane in Brazil (CONAB, 2012). SPAROVEK et al (2007), GOLDEMBERG et al (2008), MARTHA JR. (2008) indicated that the expansion of sugarcane has developed or will push over pasture areas in the Center-South region. In Goiás, there was alternative crops in 75,058 hectares in 2009/10, 61% of the areas were previously occupied by pasture, 36% were intended for soybean cultivation and 3% for corn, which were incorporated into the sugarcane production.…”

“…Using satellite imagery, the authors showed that 70% and 76% of the sugarcane area in Goiás replaced agricultural areas in 2007, respectively. AGUIAR et al (2009 presented data concerning to 2007/08 and 2008/09 harvest seasons of the Center-South region, which reveal that agriculture ceded most of the new areas today occupied by sugarcane, although pasture has had a significant increase in land-use conversion to sugarcane in the States of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul.…”

Planejamento e sustentabilidade: uma proposta de procedimentos com base na avaliação de sustentabilidade e sua aplicação para o caso do etanol de cana-de-açúcar no Plano Decenal de Expansão de Energia

“…Abramovay ( Um modelo de expansão da cana-de-açúcar para o Brasil deve se basear em uma avaliação multicriterial, e considerar a complexa realidade das diferentes regiões para potencial expansão, incluindo proteção à segurança alimentar, aos pequenos produtores e à proteção da biodiversidade -como apresentado no modelo proposto por Sparovek et al (2007).…”

“…No caso do etanol, como exemplo de meta de proteção à agricultura familiar e à biodiversidade, uma meta poderia definir o aumento da participação de culturas integradas no fornecimento de agroenergias (LOMBARDI et al, 2009;SPAROVEK et al, 2007).…”