Land use change impacts of increased bioenergy demand in Brazil

• Grant number: 16/50495-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2017
• End date: March 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Computer Science - Computing Methodologies and Techniques
• Agreement: University of Münster (WWU)
• Mobility Program: SPRINT - Projetos de pesquisa - Mobilidade
• Principal Investigator: Gilberto Camara Neto
• Grantee: Gilberto Camara Neto
• Principal researcher abroad: Judith Verstegen
• Institution abroad: University of Munster, Germany
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/08398-6 - E-Sensing: big earth observation data analytics for land use and land cover change information, AP.ESCIENCE.TEM

Abstract

The goal of this research is to use land use models to capture the effects of expansion of bioenergy production in Brazil. We will address two main scientific questions: (a) What could be the land use effects of increased bioethanol production from sugarcane in Brazil? (b) What could be the land use effects of increased biodiesel production from soy in Brazil? Policy-makers in Brazil have high expectations of export opportunities of ethanol and biodiesel, based on expected increases of biofuel consumption in the USA and the European Union, These expectations have been limited by scientific studies that have argued that biofuels expansion in Brazil has significant environmental costs, We consider these studies are dated, in the light of recent advances in agrarian productivity and environment protection measures in Brazil. This project will use advanced on methods for land use modelling and for measurement of land trajectories, combing expertise from the partners. We will use two complementary land use models (a global model at 50 km x 50 km resolution and a regional model at 5 km x 5 km resolution) to measure direct and indirect land use effects of biofuel expansion in Brazil. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

STEPANOV, OLEG; CAMARA, GILBERTO; VERSTEGEN, JUDITH A.. Quantifying the Effect of Land Use Change Model Coupling. LAND, v. 9, n. 2, FEB 2020. (16/50495-4)