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Sugarcane Ethanol and Land Use in Brazil

Economist André Nassar, of the Brazilian Institute for International Trade Negotiations, presents initial findings of a study on sugarcane expansion and land use in Brazil.

Date & Time

Monday
Apr. 28, 2008
2:00pm – 4:00pm ET

Overview

A recent study sponsored by the German Marshall Fund and published in Science magazine has cast doubt on the environmental benefits of biofuels, calling attention to its potential negative impact when land-use is factored in the carbon emission equation. The study highlighted only one possible exception: ethanol from Brazilian sugarcane. According to the study, "the extraordinary productivity of Brazilian sugarcane merits special future analysis."

On April 25, as a part of a continuing Brazil Institute series of forums dedicated to biofuels production, economist André Nassar of the Brazilian Institute for International Trade Negotiations (ICONE) presented initial findings of a study on sugarcane expansion and land use in Brazil. Unlike other forms of biofuels, Brazilian ethanol derived from sugarcane does not pose a threat to either global food supplies or the environment, noted Nassar. During the past three decades, Brazil has become the world's fourth largest agricultural exporter while also leading the world in biofuels production. Nassar explained this phenomenon is a result of numerous factors, including the efficiency of sugarcane production and the abundance of available arable and non-forested land. Barbara Bramble of the National Wildlife Federation and Todd Johnson of the World Bank also participated in the discussion.

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Brazil Institute

The Brazil Institute—the only country-specific policy institution focused on Brazil in Washington—works to foster understanding of Brazil’s complex reality and to support more consequential relations between Brazilian and US institutions in all sectors. The Brazil Institute plays this role by producing independent research and programs that bridge the gap between scholarship and policy, and by serving as a crossroads for leading policymakers, scholars and private sector representatives who are committed to addressing Brazil’s challenges and opportunities.  Read more

Environmental Change and Security Program

The Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) explores the connections between environmental change, health, and population dynamics and their links to conflict, human insecurity, and foreign policy.  Read more

Latin America Program

The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action.  Read more

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