Biofuels in Perspective

68 Biofuels
In Brazil it is well accepted that large-scale sugarcane plantation in Brazil has not affected
food production and even a substantial enlargement of the ethanol production would be
possible without meaningful constraints. For the past 35 years the harvested areas of corn
and soybean crops have increased dramatically, while the area harvested for other cultures
has remained almost identical. In 2000, the land dedicated for soybeans production was
about three times larger than the area occupied with sugarcane, while the land occupied
with corn plantations was almost twice as large. 32
4.7.3 Impacts on Biodiversity
One important aspect to be considered is that due to the land availability in Brazil, potential
impacts on biodiversity regarding large-scale production of ethanol can be minimum.
Sugarcane is not directly responsible for deforestation in Brazil and the expansion of
sugarcane plantations has occurred, displacing other crops and/or using degradable lands
previously used for cattle. Environmental legislation clearly specifies that it is forbidden
to engage in any type of deforestation. 32 On the other hand, it is very difficult to evaluate
indirect effects of sugarcane expansion, as pasture, for instance, can be moving to deforested
areas.
Anyhow, there is just one small sugarcane mill in the Amazon region and just another
mill was recently considered to be built close to the Amazon region, but not in the area
covered by forest. As a matter of fact, both the weather and the quality of soil in the Amazon
region are inadequate for sugarcane production. The expansion of sugarcane must mainly
occur in the cerrado area (the ecosystem in the Center region of Brazil) but, considering
the extension of required area, this option is also controversial.
Even with plenty of land available, regulation of land use and the definition of areas
suitable for different economic activities are absolutely necessary in Brazil. Federal Government
has recognized the importance of such actions and some concrete movements in
this regard are expected in the short run.
Given the nature of the farming sector (with high concentration of tenure), in Brazil
large track of lands are planted with sugarcane. The legislation obliges that 20 % of the
land have to be left aside in order to preserve native vegetation and biodiversity but,
unfortunately, law enforcement has not been so far as strict as expected. In a country like
Brazil, effective results in this regard require pressure from the most conscious sectors of the
society.
Water consumption is another very important topic as far as large-scale production
of biofuels is concerned. In Brazil sugarcane is basically planted without irrigation, and
this is an important advantage both from an economic and from an environmental point
of view. However, water consumption in the industrial process can be significant, and
special attention is required in order to reduce water use. In a mill with no recycling,
water consumption is higher than 20 m 3 /t of sugarcane crushed. Average figures in state
of São Paulo are 2.5 m 3 /t of sugarcane crushed and the short to mid-term target is to
achieve consumption equivalent to 1 m 3 /t of sugarcane crushed; some mills still have
water consumption as low as 0.7 m 3 /t. Considering the milling capacity of some industrial
units and the low availability of water in São Paulo, this must be one the priorities of the
sugarcane sector.