Brazil is a developing country that is a high producer and high consumer of bioethanol, and one that today exports biofuel to more than 10 countries in the world. Additionally, although more than 90% of all electrical energy in Brazil comes from hydroelectric sources (Colombia), sugar mills and distilleries sell the excess electrical energy they produce back to the grid. This electricity comes

TABLE 12.3

Use of Sugar Cane Produced in Brazil 2007

Cropped land with cane for sugar and other products/ha

Cropped land with cane for ethanol/ha

Sugar production/ton

Sugar consumption/ton

Sugar exports/ton

Fuel ethanol production/L

Fuel ethanol export/L

Source: Based on Foreign Agricultural Service. 2008. GAIN report BR8013. U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.; Food Outlook. 2007. Global market analysis 2007. FAO.

from burning the sugarcane trash and bagasse. Today, in Latin America, Brazil is a major producer (Table 12.3) extending its expertise to other countries, includ­ing technology and investments. Sugarcane in Brazil has a life cycle of 12 to 18 months and yields a range of 50 to 130 ton/ha.

Brazil is also the world’s largest consumer of sugar, with per capita consump­tion around 55 kg/year, just beating out Mexico and the United States. But, the reality today in Brazil is that sugarcane bioethanol production, as in other coun­tries with available land, has little effect on food production. This is explained by the fact that there is enough capacity for supporting new requirements in tool or expanded agricultural activities during the coming years. Another important fact to be considered is that today Brazil is the second largest producer of fuel ethanol in the world and simultaneously one of the largest food suppliers in the international market.