A new bill could waste huge areas of Amazon forest

A bill approved by Brazil’s senate would eliminate a ban on the cultivation of sugarcane for ethanol fuel in the Amazon. This will provokes more deforestation and it will make very difficult for the country to maintain the aims of the Paris climate deal.

The bill has been criticised by many: enviromentalists, companies, five former environment minister and even Brazil’s union of sugarcane producers (Unica). It’s a move set up by a conservative parliament to spoil progress in Amazon protections. José Carvalho, a former environment minister, said that «This is another setback that should not thrive».

Since 2009, sugarcane production is banned in the Amazon biome.

According to Marcio Astrini, the public policy coordinator for Greenpeace in Brazil, «Allowing the highly-profitable crop to be raised on deforested land in the region would push out other crops and encourage more deforestation. It could be one of the biggest disasters for the forest.».

Brazil’s ethanol fuel is seen as a clean fuel alternative to gasoline by millions of motorists. According to UNICA, 27m cars in Brazil, 73% of the total can use either gasoline or ethanol, as can 4m motorbikes.

UNICA signed a statement on Monday from the Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition, an organisation of companies, business associations and civil organisations which attacked the proposed law.

«This bill contradicts the efforts made by the federal government, the productive sector and society towards the sustainable production of sugarcane in the country», the Coalition said.

Bill’s aim is to stimulate economic activity, international trade and to contribute to the national supply of biofuels. With new limits, the area which is occupied by sugarcane production, would move from 10m hectares to 65m hectares, while only 11m more hectares would be needed to double production.