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Published on: Monday October 8th 2007
BRUSSELS – On the 5th and 6th of July, presidents, ministers
and business leaders from around the world gathered in Brussels to develop an international
approach to reap the potential benefits of biofuels, while ensuring sustainable
development and avoiding the creation of new risks. Hosting European commissioner
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, as well as many others, particularly emphasized the importance
of sustainable production in countries such as Brazil. Keynote speaker and president
of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, as well as UNICA’s president Marcos Jank, addressed
the mistaken notion that Brazil is using the Amazon region to produce ethanol as
well as other social and environmental issues. According to José Roberto Moreira,
President of the Biomass Users Network and member of the executive council of Cenbio,
says this shows that conferences such as this are important to provide the general
public as well as politicians with real facts and the proper perspective.
Ethanol Statistics sat down with Professor José Roberto Moreira to discuss the social,
environmental and economic impact of ethanol production in Brazil and other developing
economies. He openly acknowledges that ethanol has certain drawbacks, but unlike
many others, he provides the proper perspective to assess the overall impact. We
asked him how and where Brazil is able to expand it’s production capacity, taking
into account all the aspects mentioned above. In this first of two articles, Mr.
Moreira addresses displacement of cattle into the Amazon, the sustainability of
energy production in general and discusses the most important sustainability criteria,
one by one.
The myth of direct and indirect effects of ethanol production on the Amazon
One thing that every Brazilian presentation at the conference in Brussels had in
common was a map of Brazil that illustrated the distance between the Amazon rainforest
and ethanol production facilities. More than 1,300 miles of land separates the areas,
debunking the myth that Brazil is or will be cutting its rainforest to produce ethanol.
However, several study groups and environmental organizations are now questioning
whether sugarcane production won’t displace cattle pastures and soybean production
into that area, causing dramatic indirect effects. Statistics from the secretary
of the environment of São Paulo illustrate the enormous potential for intensifying
the Brazilian cattle sector, as there are only 1.4 cows on every hectare of pasture.
Environmentalist claim that this is wishful thinking as moving cattle is less expensive
than intensifying cattle. Professor Moreira disagrees with the latter group, but
for a surprisingly practical reason. “I suspect that most of the cattle ranching
will always take place in the southeast of Brazil, because of the Aftosa (foot and
mouth disease). The EU and USA will not import meat that comes from areas such as
the Amazon, because those areas are not disease free. The economic benefit of raising
cattle in the Amazon is therefore very small, making the southeast relatively more
attractive. But it is out of question that some leakage will occur”.
© Ethanol Statistics 2008
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