The National Agro-energy Plan was launched Friday, October 14, by Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply, Roberto Rodrigues, in Piracicaba, São Paulo. The initiative is part of the government’s effort to increase biofuel production.
Beginning in 2008, a 2% mixture of biodiesel with regular diesel fuel will become mandatory in Brazil. This represents an annual consumption of nearly 1 billion liters of biodiesel.
The plan provides for the simultaneous creation of a Brazilian agro-energy consortium, composed of various sectors, including petroleum industries and automobile manufacturers, and a special fund for the biodiesel sector.
According to Rodrigues, biodiesel will become increasingly relevant throughout the world. Germany alone already produces 1.2 billion liters annually. Specialists predict that in the coming decades, international agribusiness will be organized in four segments: food, fibers, biomass, and ornamental plants.
ABr