Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply - Embrapa

Large investments in RD&I would be necessary over a long period of time
in order to produce the most adequate raw material for each region and a sufficient
amount of each raw material to supply the biodiesel industry in an economically
viable manner. Research should focus on increasing the energy density of the
oleaginous species, going from the current oil yield24 of 600 kg/ha to approximately
5,000 kg/ha. Initially this could be achieved by improving production with a view to
increasing the physical productivity of the raw material.
At the same time, medium- and long-term research should try to
increase the contents of the energy components (cellulose, sugar, starch,
oils, etc.) of the oleaginous plant currently being used and incorporate new plants,
particularly tropical plants, with high oil producing capacity per unit area.
Biotechnology and traditional plant breeding should play a relevant role in
achieving those objectives either through research in new varieties and
development of genetically modified organisms, or by adapting the energy crops
to the various agro-ecological conditions.
Lastly, the expansion of biofuels in the country will also depend on
technological innovations, improvement of industrial processes and increasing
the efficiency of the energy sources.
Regional prospects
North Region
The North Region holds the largest part of the national territory covered
by native forests – the Amazonian biome – in addition to Cerrado areas in the
states of Tocantins, Rondônia, Pará, and Roraima. The Amazon forest harbors
a great variety of native species, including palms, which could contribute to
reducing our dependency on petrodiesel. To that end local communities should
be organized around simple extractivist activities or agro-forestry exploitation.
There are more than 5-million hectares already deforested and appropriate
for cultivating African palm.
Pará is the largest African palm oil producer in the country: close to
100,000 tons p.a. from a 50,000-ha cultivated area, a good part of which has
not yet reached maturity. African palms start producing fruits four years after
planting, attain maturity on the 7th year, and maintain high productivity levels
24 An energy-density increase would help reduce the pressure due to the incorporation of new areas
and the inducements to destroy the environment, as well as the unplanned settlement of the
agricultural frontier.
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