Socio-environmental impacts of agrofuels

Lessons from sugarcane ethanol production

Amaranta HerreroCorporate Europe Observatory (CEO)

Structure of the presentation● Context and impacts

● Sugarcane ethanol: environmental and social impacts

● Further considerations for climate change: Land use change and marginal lands

● Conclusions and recommendations

Agrofuel context➔ Time of uncertainties and environmental challenges: Climate change ; loss of biodiversity; soil erosion

➔ Energy crisis: peak oil + other mineral peaks

➔ Financial crisis & climate change?

EU legislation in process:

● Renewable Energy Directive

● Fuel Quality Directive

World oil production (EIA Monthly) for crude oil + NGL (December 2007)

The importance of knowing the impacts

Internalising unexpected side-effects. Accountability exercise. Towards an 'ethics of responsibility'.

The 'development discourse' and 'green energy discourse' on agrofuels

Dealing with uncertainties and assessing complex systems – multicriteria assessments

sugarcane ethanol case

Environmental impacts of sugarcane ethanol

Impacts on SoilImpacts on Soil

- Soil degradation soil erosion (extensive areas of bare soil)soil compaction (traffic of heavy machinery)

Impacts on Aquatic systemsImpacts on Aquatic systems

- Sedimentation (deposited onto wetlands, small streams, rivers and reservoirs).- Chemical pollution via pesticides (organochlorides and antrazine) and heavy metals- Waste pollution from the sugarcane industrial processing (washing of sugarcane stems and vinasse produced during the destillation process)

Environmental impacts of sugarcane ethanol II

Nitrogen pollutionNitrogen pollution

- Excess of N (fertilizer) is exported in streams and rivers –eutrophication- The N cycle is accelerated. Emissions of N2O (about 300 times stronger than CO2). This an important trade-off in the climate change scenario and must be taken into account in the energy balance.

Impacts on riparian ecosystems Impacts on riparian ecosystems and biodiversityand biodiversity

Socioenvironmental impacts of sugarcane ethanol

Impacts due to sugarcane burningImpacts due to sugarcane burning

- Soil compaction and soil erosion

- High concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been detected in soils located near sugarcane burning areas. Risk for human health.

- Gas emissions (CO and O3 in high levels). Acid rain.

- Sugarcane burning respiratory diseases

Social impacts of sugarcane ethanolImpacts on local farmingImpacts on local farming

- Reconfiguration in land use- Increase tension over land ownership- Affecting family farming and increasing food prices- Impacts on indigenous peoples

Impacts on Job creation and Working conditionsImpacts on Job creation and Working conditions(quantity vs. quality debate)

- 8 to 12 hours/day of cutting and carrying sugarcane stalks, while inhaling dust and smoke from the burned residue. Usually lack of clean water, restrooms and food storage facilitaties.- Typical sugarcane worker: migrant from the poor area, usually hired and transported to sugarcane plantations by the “gatos”. Semi-slavery working conditions.

Further considerations on agrofuels(especially regarding the RED)

LandLand--use changeuse change: Importance of agriculture and land use for emissions!Main indirect effects that lead to deforestation. Brasilian soya case.

Source: UK Government Stern Report on Climate Change, 2006

The Mith of the Marginal LandsThe Mith of the Marginal Lands: Proposed to respond to critisism regarding competition with food production. Marginal Lands are usually vital for the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, pastoralists, women and indigenous peoples.

How sustainable can a monoculture be?How sustainable can a monoculture be?

Conclusions and recomendations- Industrial scale agrofuel monocultures already have severe environmental and social impacts.

- 10% mandatory target for 2020 will lead to a major expansion of agrofuels and therefore will instensify its unintentional side-effects.

- It's necessary to include whole life cycle analysis and land change use in energy calculations

- Sustainability criteria under a mandatory target and without moritoring and control mechanisms is mainly a greenwash mechanism

Conclusions and recomendations

Political actions are needed to face the current problem of overconsumption of natural resources and finding more efficient, non-dangerous, decentralised, fair, and locally-based energy alternatives to our addiction to oil.

With the excuse of the Financial crisis it's important not to weaken strong social and environmental commitments

The promotion of agrofuels perpetuates our present model of transport based on private cars, fuel combustion engines and dependence on fossil fuels.

thanks!