I am in Brazil this week, and met today with people from the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA). In Brazil this means they are active energy players, as over half of the crop in Brazil is used for ethanol. In recent years they have become an effective lobbying force not just in Brazil, but also in Washington (and in Brussels).
They presented an ambitious future, with production and productivity increasing to meet both rising internal demand for biofuels and big jumps in projected exports. Brazil’s sugar-based ethanol is far more energy efficient than U.S. corn-based ethanol, and getting more so through biological innovations. Today Brazil is the world’s second largest supplier and consumer of ethanol (bested only by the United States). Now the majority of its cars run on ethanol, consuming almost a third of the world supply. Brazil also has huge tracts of agricultural land that could support the projected growth in biofuels demand.
See full Article.
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