Case Study → Biofuels in Brazil (Edexcel A-Level Geography): Revision Notes

Case Study → Biofuels in Brazil

Context	● 4% of its energy comes from renewable sources ● Brazil is the world's largest producer of ethanol from sugar cane ○ In 2019/20 sugar cane production estimated to be 643 mil metric tonnes ● Has become the leading exporter of sugar & ethanol
Cars	● Approx 90% of new passenger vehicles sold in Brazil contain flex fuel engines that work using any combination of petrol & sugarcane ethanol ○ Has led to a sig ↓ in CO2 emissions ● Big business • $50bn per yr w/ 1,34 mil direct jobs ● Waste from processing sugar cane used to produce electricity ● Biodiesel from soybean oil is being developed
Negatives	● Displacement of other types of agriculture such as cattle pasture ○ Caused a need to create replacement pastures ○ Resulted in clearance of tropical rainforest and the deforestation is now basically cancelling out the ↓ in CO2 emissions related to the increasing use of ethano

•                              The role of Brazil in the advancement of enzymatic biodiesel production*