Abstract
The initial research puzzle is explained in this chapter as well as the reasons for conducting this specific research. An explanation is given for the rise of biofuels and their importance within current commercially viable alternative energies and reasons why they are still contested are presented. Beginning with the fact that the availability of energy can be considered as essential for human needs as the provision of food, water and shelter, the effects of commercial-scale biofuel production on rural development, agriculture and the environment are illustrated in more detail. This chapter provides an overview on why emerging and developing countries that have a strong agricultural resource base might promote biofuels. These countries anticipate a potential to generate and secure rural labor and promote rural development. Furthermore it is concisely explained why it is crucial to consider the competition for agricultural land between food crops and crops for energy purposes. The environmental impacts of biofuel production and consumption are discussed that need to be taken into account when biofuels are subsidized and promoted by governmental regulations. This chapter concludes with the presentation of three research questions that represent the common thread for the overall structure of the text at hand.
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Notes
- 1.
Throughout the thesis, the wording of reference will be ‘biofuels‘, ‘bioethanol‘or ‘biodiesel’ because in most scientific and popular articles the same terms are used. The wording ‘bio’ does not imply to communicate any positive message that might be expected by that choice. ‘Agrofuels’ is an alternative term to describe first generation biofuels but since biofuels is the most common one it will be referred to accordingly.
- 2.
Translation: “The sugar and energy sector”. The phrase in Portuguese is used time and again within this thesis since setor sucroenergético already relates to the variety of products (sugar, ethanol, and electricity) that can be produced out of sugarcane. It should be noted that the focus of this research lies with biofuels and therefore the production of ethanol derived from sugarcane. But since the interdependencies of sugar, ethanol and other sugarcane products are inherent to the plant and the production process itself, the analysis of the total sugarcane complex becomes essential to this research. Throughout this thesis the sugarcane complex will be referred to, which can be understood as a synonym for ‘sugarcane industry’ and ‘sugar-energy sector’. The word ‘complex’ has been chosen due to its derivative ‘complexity’ which illustrates the variety and the extension that this research incorporates.
- 3.
The terms ‘family farmers’ or ‘family farming’ (agriculturas familiares) are used synonymously with the term ‘smallholders’.
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Kaup, F. (2015). Introduction. In: The Sugarcane Complex in Brazil. Contributions to Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16583-7_1
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