November 18, 2016 (Sugaronline) | https://goo.gl/12CYlY
Brazil launched on Wednesday an initiative to promote biofuels during the United Nations Climate Conference (COP-22), with 20 countries signing on, according to Brazil's Folha de S. Paulo newspaper.
The initiative was launched after two months of negotiations with nations that would benefit from expanding investment in fuel production from biomass, like ethanol from sugarcane and biofuel from soybeans.
The solution is viewed with concern by environmentalists and countries that have chosen not to join the platform, such as Germany.
On Tuesday, Barbara Hendricks, president of the Environment Committee at the German parliament, met with Brazilian ministers Blairo Maggi (Agriculture) and Sarney Filho (Environment) during the COP-22 to hear about the 'Biofuturo' platform proposal.
Sources among the Brazilian representatives said negotiations ended in total disagreement. Germany - which leads solar energy investments and is shutting down its coal plants - would not commit to energy sources that threaten food safety.
Since 2008, the biofuels debate has been marked by controversy over the competition for land used in food production. At the time, Brazil was recognized as privileged for being able to produce biofuel on a large scale without undermining the prospects for food production, thanks to sugarcane and the amount of arable land.
The Brazilian government now wants to encourage other countries to produce biofuels, which would increase investments and create a market in which Brazil would be a leader.
According to the Brazilian proposal, countries would produce so-called second-generation biofuel, produced from crop residues that would have previously been discarded.
Brazil has the potential to produce 5 billion litres of second generation biofuels annually, and 30 billion litres of conventional fuel. To meet the goal established at the Paris Agreement, the country needs to reach 50 billion litres, raising the share of ethanol to 18% in the composition of Brazil's energy matrix.