Bioenergy in Brazil – from traditional to modern systems - Biomass as Energy Source: Resources, Systems and Applications - page 72

economy. This economic pressure resulted in increasing borrowing, economic recession, inflation
and a serious debt crisis in the 1980s. Brazil became an net oil exporter in 2006 and is now heading
towards becoming a major oil exporter in the near future. 4 Since peak-oil is approaching and most
oil is coming from the Middle East, the prospect of becoming the 5th largest oil producer in the
world within this decade gives Brazil a very strategic position when it comes to global energy
security. As of 2010, the Brazilian energy dependency amounted to 7.8%, mostly in the form of
imported coal for metallurgical uses and a small amount of electricity (IBGE, 2011).
Brazil's strategies for the development of energy supply after the 1970s included oil prospection
and research, deployment of the country's hydropower potential, and development of alternative
energy sources such as ethanol from sugarcane. The successful achievements were many but there
have been also many social and environmental costs. In particular, deforestation has continued
throughout the past decades despite a number of measures to curtail environmental degradation.
Environmental and social liability in the charcoal segment is one of the most serious to be tackled
by the Brazilian industries. As climate change issues become more pressing, renewed attention
is put on the Brazilian deforestation problems, the largest source of emissions in the country. As
much as 61% of the Brazilian emissions are related to land and forest use change while energy
only accounts for 15% of the total emissions. 5
The next two sections offer a brief description of main sources and uses of bioenergy in Brazil
with focus on forest-based biomass and transport fuels. It is not an exhaustive description but does
provide an overview of howBrazil has systematically developedmajor segments of bioenergy, and
how biomass has become a modern energy alternative in the country also serving the objectives
of sustainable development.
4.3 FOREST-BASED BIOMASS IN BRAZIL
Forests have tradionally been important sources of food, timber, pulp and paper, medicines and
energy. Biomass has been used in the early stages of industrial development, but resource depletion
and availability of other alternatives have gradually led to energy source substitution and improved
forest management as a way to protect standing forests. Still native forests are being used as
sources of energy particularly in developing countries. According to the FAO's recent global
forest assessment, deforestation continues throughout the world even if the rate of clearance has
slowed down somewhat (FAO, 2011). The prospects are quite good for increasing the amount of
planted forests in the next two decades, although deforestation and degradation is most likely
to proceed in regions where environmental control is weak and poverty is widespread. Planted
forests are becoming increasingly important but still only account for less than 2% of the land
use globally (Carle and Holmgren, 2008).
In Latin America, most of the deforestation is presently related to the expansion of agriculture
and urbanization but the causes vary around the continent (FAO, 2011). In some regions, the
demand for round wood is still a major source of deforestation. Worldwide, there is expectation
that natural forests will become more attractive to preserve as eco-systems are better valued,
this leading to improved management and market value creation for natural stands. In fact, the
process of valuing natural resources, also contemplated in the REDD 6 mechanism of the climate
convention, could help change the use of natural forests from single purposes such as energy
or round wood to multiple services including, for example, product extraction together with
4 The Economist, Nov 5, 2011. Filling up the future, available at http://www.economist.com/node/21536570.
5 Information on the Brazilian inventory available at http://www.brasil.gov.br/cop-english/overview/
what-brazil-is-doing/emissions-inventory.
6 UN-REDD is an initiative launched in 2008 under the climate convention aimed at Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries. More info available at http://www.
un-redd.org/ and http://www.redd-monitor.org/.