Sustainability assessment of sugar cane in São Paulo state: a conceptual model and methodology proposal

• Grant number: 10/14141-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2011
• End date: March 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Katia Regina Evaristo de Jesus
• Grantee: Bruno Oliveira Cardoso
• Host Institution: Embrapa Meio-Ambiente. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). Jaguariúna , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to develop a Methodology, entitled 'Sustenta-Cana Method', for the environmental, social and economical sustainability assessment of the sugar cane productive system in São Paulo State. Although the sugar cane stands for one of the oldest cultures in Brazil, currently, the cultivation of sugar cane is the third largest planted area in Brazil, mainly because it represents an alternative and renewable source of energy. The environmental and social equity concerned have been strengthened in recent years, especially due to market globalization. As a result of the society awareness that has emerged from the new global posture, the need arises for adjustment of agricultural activities or agro-industrial processes for the entire production system to generate positive impact for the environment and society. Thereby, sustainability now appears as a critical item for achieving competitiveness in agricultural systems. To unfold the method with the appropriate sustainability indicators for this specific case, it is long expected the development of a conceptual model with sustainability criteria, directing attributes and specific technical coefficients. The method will therefore rate and represent the complexity of the sustainability issue and guide effectively the survey and validation of the indicators and their thresholds of sustainability to enable it to be an effective tool for decision and policy makers. The methodology to be used both for the formulation of the model and for the construction of the methodological purpose will first be a survey of the general sustainability information and indicators from the literature, all this information will be organized in a Data Bank entitled 'Banco de Dados Sustenta-Cana'. The indicators and the Method will be validated by consultation with experts among academic, manufacturing, power plants and producers in highly advanced stage (applying the Delphi technique to consult specialists) and in person, through workshops. The information will be organized in the "Sustenta-Cana" software, which will combine the information with spatial images and creating spatial-temporal scenarios (applying GIS tools). With this scenario of the production system and environmental, social and economic vulnerabilities are expected to form a sustainability picture of the sugar cane production system in São Paulo. (AU)