Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Introduction

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Sustainable Development of Biofuels in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

This chapter provides a background for consideration of the sustainability of biofuels in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Facing the twin problems of increasingly scarce and risky petroleum resources and global climate change, many nations are turning to biofuels for the transportation sector. For several decades, the world leaders in biofuels production and use have been, by far, Brazil and most recently the USA. These programs have been considered to be in the national interest, and have been subsidized by governments to varying degrees until more recently. However, the sustainability of biofuels production has come under serious challenge, including their effect on greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, deforestation, water use and pollution, food security, labor practices, among other issues. The first generation of biofuels in LAC has relied upon feedstocks that are food based, primarily sugarcane and soybeans, and conversion to non-food-based, second-generation biofuels has been extremely slow. An overview will be provided of numerous sustainability concerns, challenges, and policy responses, including nongovernmental organization governance and certification standards and schemes for biofuel and feedstock production. Given the already large export markets for US and Brazilian ethanol, and for Argentinean biodiesel, greater coordination between national biofuels sustainability programs will be essential to their successful implementation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    It is difficult to know if exported oilseeds or oils from the LAC region to biofuel-producing regions such as the EU are used for biofuel production or in other sectors. Nevertheless, it is worth noting feedstock exports here because it is likely that some feedstock originating from LAC were used by EU member states to produce biofuel in recent years (MVO 2009).

  2. 2.

    Brazil ended its direct subsidies in 1999 and, more recently, the USA removed its import tariff on Brazilian ethanol.

  3. 3.

    Between January and December 2009, Brazilian sugar prices, which serve as a benchmark for the world market, doubled. Prices declined by mid-2010, but they underwent a similar increase by the end of the year and remained high through the first quarter of 2011 (CEPEA 2012).

  4. 4.

    Data for Jatropha are for bio-kerosene production, but we include them here because the emissions are similar and this is the only peer-reviewed LCA study of Jatropha biofuel produced in the LAC region.

  5. 5.

    The use of maize as livestock feed, indirectly human food, accounts for either the first or second largest share of the market, depending on the year (Solomon et al. 2007).

  6. 6.

    These include the ILO Convention on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

References

  • ActionAid (2008) Las plantaciones para agrocombustibles y la pérdida de tierras para la producción de alimentos en Guatemala. ActionAid, Guatemala City

    Google Scholar 

  • ActionAid (2012) Fueling the food crisis: the cost to developing countries of US corn ethanol expansion. http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/rp/ActionAid_Fueling_Food_Crisis.pdf. Accessed 17 May 2013

  • Alesina A, Rodrik D (1994) Distributive politics and economic growth. Q J Econ 109(2):465–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arima EY, Richards P, Walker R, Caldas MM (2011) Statistical confirmation of indirect land use change in the Brazilian Amazon. Environ Res Lett 6(2):024010. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/6/2/024010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Babcock BA (2012) The impact of US biofuel policies on agricultural price levels and volatility. China Agr Econ Rev 4(4):407–426

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailis R, Baka J (2010) Greenhouse gas emissions and land use change from Jatropha curcas-based jet fuel in Brazil. Environ Sci Technol 44(22):8684–8691

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailis R, Baka J (2011) Constructing sustainable biofuels: governance of the emerging biofuel economy. Ann Assoc Am Geogr 101(4):827–838

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bailis R, Kavlak G (2013) Environmental implications of Jatropha biofuel from a silvi-pastoral production system in central-west Brazil. Environ Sci Technol 47(14):8042–8050

    Google Scholar 

  • Barros S (2012) Brazil: biofuels annual. GAIN Report Number: BR12013, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • BNDES (2008) Sugar cane-based bioethanol: energy for sustainable development. Rio de Janeiro, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social (BNDES), 300

    Google Scholar 

  • Borjesson P (2009) Good or bad bioethanol from a greenhouse gas perspective—what determines this? Appl Energy 86(5):589–594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonsucro (2011) Bonsucro production standard including Bonsucro EU production standard. London. http://www.bonsucro.com/assets/Bonsucro_Production_Standard_March_2011_3.pdf. Accessed 7 June 2013

  • BP (2012) BP Statistical review of world energy June 2012. London. http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/reports_and_publications/statistical_energy_review_2011/STAGING/local_assets/pdf/statistical_review_of_world_energy_full_report_2011.pdf. Accessed 22 April 2013

  • CARB (2009) Proposed regulation to implement the low carbon fuel standard, Vol I. California Air Resources Board, Sacramento

    Google Scholar 

  • Carolan MS (2009) A sociological look at biofuels: ethanol in the early decades of the twentieth century and lessons for today. Rural Sociol 74(1):86–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CEPEA (2012) Indicador soja CEPEA/ESALQ—paraná. http://cepea.esalq.usp.br/agromensal/2012/12_dezembro/AcucarAlcool.htm. Accessed 24 April 2013

  • Chum H et al (2011) Bioenergy. In: Edenhofer O et al (ed) IPCC special report on renewable energy sources and climate change mitigation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotula L, Dyer N, Vermeulen S (2008) Fuelling exclusion? The biofuels boom and poor people’s access to land. FAO and IIED, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowie S (2011) U.S. opens market for Brazilian ethanol. The Rio Times. http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-business/us-opens-market-for-brazilian-ethanol/# Accessed 27 Dec 2011

    Google Scholar 

  • Dauvergne P, Neville KJ (2009) The changing north-south and south-south political economy of biofuels. Third World Q 30(6):1087–1102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delvenne P, Vasen F, Vara AM (2013) The “soy-ization” of Argentina: the dynamics of the “globalized” privatization regime in a peripheral context. Technol Soc 35(2):153–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dos Santos S (2007) The tainted grail of Brazilian ethanol: achieving oil independence but who has borne the cost and paid the price? NY City L Rev 11(1):61–93

    Google Scholar 

  • EIA (Energy Information Administration) (2012) International energy statistics: biofuels production. http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/iedindex3.cfm?tid=79 & pid=80 & aid=1 & cid=r1,r2, & syid=2008 & eyid=2010 & unit=TBPD. Accessed 6 May 2013

  • Elia Neto A (2005) Captação e uso de água no processamento da cana-de-açúcar. In: Macedo I (ed) A energia da cana-de-açúcar: doze estudos sobre a agroindústria da cana-de-açúcar no Brasil e a sua sustentabilidade. UNICA, São Paulo, pp 108–115

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA (2010) Renewable fuel standard program (RFS2) regulatory impact analysis. US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • European Union (2009) Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament. Official J Eur Union L 140(5.6.2009):16–62

    Google Scholar 

  • FAOSTAT (2013) FAOSTAT detailed trade flows. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • FAPRI (Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute) (2009) 2009 US and world agricultural outlook. http://www.fapri.iastate.edu/outlook/2009/. Accessed 7 June 2013

  • Fargione J, Hill J, Tilman D, Polasky S, Hawthorne P (2008) Land clearing and the biofuel carbon debt. Science 319(5867):1235–1238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farinelli B, Carter CA, Lin CYC, Sumner DA (2009) Imported demand for Brazilian ethanol: a cross-country analysis. J Clean Prod 17(1):S9–S17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferranti DM de (2004) Inequality in Latin America: breaking with history? World Bank, Washington DC

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzherbert EB, Struebig MJ, Morel A, Danielsen F, Bruhl CA, Donald PF, Phalan B (2008) How will oil palm expansion affect biodiversity? Trends Ecol Evol 23(10):538–545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao Y, Skutsch M, Drigo R, Pacheco P, Masera O (2011) Assessing deforestation from biofuels: methodological challenges. Appl Geogr 31(2):508–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gelder JW van, Dros JM (2006) From rainforest to chicken breast: effects of soybean cultivation for animal feed on people and nature in the Amazon region—a chain of custody study, study commissioned by Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands and Cordaid

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomes M, Biondi A, Brianezi T, Glass V (2009) Brazil of biofuels: impacts of crops on land, environment and society—soybean and castor bean 2009; Amigos da Terra—Amazônia Brasileira, Centro de Tecnologia Alternativa (CTA), Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV), Portal Beef Point, Universidade Federal de Rondônia (UniR), Brasilia, p 57

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldemberg J, Coelho ST, Nastari PM, Lucon O (2004) Ethanol learning curve-the Brazilian experience. Biomass Bioenerg 26(3):301–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorter H de, Drabik D, Just DR (2013) How biofuels policies affect the level of grains and oilseed prices: theory, models and evidence. Glob Food Secur 2(2):82–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutiérrez-Vélez V, DeFries R, Pinedo-Vasquez M, Uriarte M, Padoch C, Baethgen W, Fernandes K, Lim Y (2011) High-yield oil palm expansion spares land at the expense of forests in the Peruvian Amazon. Environ Res Lett 6(4):044029

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hira A, Oliveria LG de (2009) No substitute for oil? How Brazil developed its ethanol industry. Energ Policy 37(6):2450–2456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoefnagels R, Smeets E, Faaij A (2010) Greenhouse gas footprints of different biofuel production systems. Renew Sust Energ Rev 14(7):1661–1694

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) (2012) ISCC plus 202. Sustainability requirements for the production of biomass, V 1.0. http://www.iscc-system.org/uploads/media/ISCC_EU_202_Sustainability_Requirements-Requirements_for_theProduction_of_Biomasse_2.3_01.pdf. Accessed 16 May 2013

  • Janssen R, Rutz DD (2011) Sustainability of biofuels in Latin America: risks and opportunities. Energ Policy 39(10):5717–5725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kampa M, Castanas E (2008) Human health effects of air pollution. Environ Pollut 151(2):362–367

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keleman A, Raño HG (2011) The Mexican tortilla crisis of 2007: the impacts of grain-price increases on food-production chains. Dev Practice 21(4–5):550–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lapola DM, Schaldach R, Alcamo J, Bondeau A, Koch J, Koelking C, Priess JA (2010) Indirect land-use changes can overcome carbon savings from biofuels in Brazil. P Natl Acad Sci USA 107(8):3388–3393. doi:10.1073/pnas.0907318107

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin A (2008) Fuel choices, food crises and finger-pointing. The New York Times. http://www.pitt.edu/~jrclass/sca/ethanol-info.pdf Accessed 16 May 2013. Accessed 15 April 2008

  • Maughan MJ (2011) Land grabs and oil palm in Colombia. International conference on global land grabbing, Sussex University, International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer PJ (2010) Brazil-U.S. relations. Congressional Research Service, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • MVO (2009) Market analysis: oils and fats for fuel. 40. Product Board for Margarine, Fats and Oils, Rijswijk, the Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council (2008) Water implications of biofuels production in the United States. National Academies Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Nepstad DC, Stickler CM, Almeida OT (2006) Globalization of the Amazon soy and beef industries: opportunities for conservation. Conserv Biol 20(6):1595–1603

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patzek TW (2004) Thermodynamics of the maize-ethanol biofuel cycle. Crit Rev Plant Sci 23(6):519–567

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peskett L, Slater R, Stevens C, Dufey A (2008) Biofuels, agriculture and poverty reduction. Trade & Industry Monitor, pp 45–52. http://www.tips.org.za/files/Peskett_L._Slater_R._Stevens_C._Dufey_A._2008_Biofuels_agriculture_and_poverty_reduction.pdf. Accessed 24 July 2013

  • Pimentel D, Patzek TW (2005) Ethanol production using maize, switchgrass, and wood; biodiesel production using soybeans and sunflower. Nat Resourc Res 14(1):65–76

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson GP, Dale VH, Doering OC, Hamburg SP, Melillo JM, Wander MM, Parton WJ, Adler PR, Barney JN, Cruse RM, Duke CS, Fearnside PM, Follett RF, Gibbs HK, Goldemberg J, Mladenoff DJ, Ojima D, Palmer MW, Sharpley A, Wallace L, Weathers KC, Wiens JA, Wilhelm WW (2008) Sustainable biofuels redux. Science 322(5898):49–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal E (2013) As biofuel demand grows, so do Guatemala’s hunger pangs. The New York Times, 5 January 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/science/earth/in-fields-and-markets-guatemalans-feel-squeeze-of-biofuel-demand.html?pagewanted=all &_r=0. Accessed 28 April 2013

  • Rosillo-Calle F, Pelkmans L, Walter A (2009) A global overview of vegetable oils, with reference to biodiesel. A report to the IEA Bioenergy Task 40. http://bioenergytrade.org/downloads/vegetableoilstudyfinaljune18.pdf. Accessed 17 May 2013

  • RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) (2010) RSB principles and criteria for sustainable biofuel production, RSB Reference Code: RSB-STD-01–001 (Version 2.0), Lausanne. http://rsb.org/pdfs/standards/11-03-08-RSB-PCs-Version-2.pdf. Accessed 16 May 2013

  • RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) (2012a) RSB generic chain of custody standard, RSB Reference Code: RSB-STD-20-001, Lausanne. http://www.scscertified.com/docs/11-03-14-RSB-STD-20-001-vers.2.0-Generic%20chain%20of%20custody%20standard.pdf. Accessed 16 May 2013

  • RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) (2012b) RSB Screening Tool, RSB Reference Code: RSB-GUI-01-002-02 (Version 2.3) Lausanne. http://rsb.org/pdfs/guidelines/13-03-13-RSB-GUI-01-002-02RSB-ScreeningTool-Version2.3.pdf. Accessed 21 May 2013

  • RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) (2012c) RSB guidelines for land rights. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland, http://rsb.org/pdfs/guidelines/12-05-02-RSB-GUI-01-012-01-RSB-Guidelines-for-Land-Rights.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2013

  • RSPO (2013) RSPO principles and criteria for sustainable palm oil production. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

    Google Scholar 

  • RTRS (2010) RTRS standard for responsible soy production version 1.0. Buenos Aires, RTRS International Technical Group (ITG)

    Google Scholar 

  • Runge CF, Senauer B (2007) How biofuels could starve the poor. Foreign Aff 86(3):41–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Sagars AD, Kartha S (2007) Bioenergy and sustainable development? Annu Rev Env Resour 32:131–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skone TJ, Gerdes K (2008) Development of baseline data and analysis of greenhouse gas emissions of petroleum-based fuels. US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Office of Systems, Analysis and Planning, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon BD (2010a) Biofuels and sustainability. Ann NY Acad Sci 1185:119–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solomon BD (2010b) The transition to second generation biofuels in the United States: will it be feasible and sustainable? Geogr Rund (Int Edn) 6(4):16–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon BD, Barnes J, Halvorsen KE (2007) Grain and cellulosic ethanol: history, economics, and energy policy. Biomass Bioenerg 31(6):416–425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sorda G, Banse M, Kemfert C (2010) An overview of biofuel policies across the world. Energ Policy 38(11):6977–6988

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Souza S de, Pacca S,Turra deAM, Borges JLB (2010) Greenhouse gas emissions and energy balance of palm oil biofuel. Renew Energ 35(11):2552–2561

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomei J, Upham P (2009) Argentinean soy-based biodiesel: an introduction to production and impacts. Energ Policy 37(10):3890–3898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNICA (2013) Histórico de exportação mensal de etanol pelo Brasil. http://www.unicadata.com.br/listagem.php?idMn=65. Accessed 16 April 2013

  • USDA (2013a) Agricultural chemical usage—field crops and potatoes. USDA, Economics, statistics and market information system. http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1560. Accessed 14 May 2013

  • USDA (2013b) US corn trade. USDA, Economic Research Service. http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/corn/trade.aspx#.UZZyfuDB5So Accessed 17 May 2013

  • Van Dam J, Junginger M, Faaij APC (2010) From the global efforts on certification of bioenergy towards an integrated approach based on sustainable land use planning. Renew Sust Energ Rev 14(9):2445–2472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vidal J (2007) Global food crisis looms as climate change and fuel shortages bite. The Guardian, 3 November 2007. http://relooney.fatcow.com/0_New_2946.pdf. Accessed 16 May 2013

  • Von Braun J, Meinzen-Dick RS (2009) “Land grabbing” by foreign investors in developing countries: risks and opportunities, IFPRI Policy Brief 13. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Wahl N, Hildebrandt T, Moser C, Lüdeke-Freund F, Averdunk KBR, Barua K, Burritt R, Groeneveld J, Klein A, Kügemann MWD, Schaltegger S, Zelt T (2012) Insights into jatropha projects worldwide: key facts & figures from a global survey. Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM), Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany. http://www.leuphana.de/fileadmin/user_upload/portale/inkubator/download/Studie_Insights_into_Jatropha_Projects_Worldwide.pdf. Accessed 15 July 2013

  • Welch C (2006) Globalization and the transformation of work in rural Brazil: agribusiness, rural labor unions, and peasant mobilization. Int Labor Work-Class 70(1):35–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Wicke B, Verweij P, Meijl H van, Vuuren DP van, Faaij APC (2012) Indirect land use change: review of existing models and strategies for mitigation. Biofuels 3(1):87–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2013) Food price watch. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/0,,contentMDK:22838758~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:336992,00.html. Accessed 17 May 2013

  • Yacobucci BD (2008) Ethanol imports and the Caribbean Basin Initiative. Updated version. Congressional Research Service, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Yacobucci BD, Bracmort K (2010) Calculation of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Congressional Research Service, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Zoomers A (2010) Globalisation and the foreignisation of space: seven processes driving the current global land grab. J Peasant Stud 37(2):429–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA

    Barry D. Solomon

  2. Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT, USA

    Robert Bailis

Authors
  1. Barry D. Solomon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert Bailis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barry D. Solomon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA

    Barry D. Solomon

  2. School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Robert Bailis

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Solomon, B., Bailis, R. (2014). Introduction. In: Solomon, B., Bailis, R. (eds) Sustainable Development of Biofuels in Latin America and the Caribbean. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9275-7_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation