Sugarcane Industry Expansion and Changing Rural Labour Regimes in Mato Grosso do Sul (2000–2016)

Abstract

The objective of this chapter is to assess how the expanding production of biofuels as part of an emerging bioeconomy affects existing social inequalities in labour and land relations. A case study method was applied to investigate the growth of the sugarcane industry in Mato Grosso do Sul between 2000 and 2016. The analytical framework of social inequalities and a rural labour regime approach guided the research and data analysis. This chapter shows that the expansion of biofuels was propelled by an entanglement of global dynamics such as land grabbing and green development discourses, as well as national policies that fostered bioethanol production. The expansion of the sugarcane industry in Mato Grosso do Sul led to changes in existing labour regimes. The most striking changes were the increased but temporal semi-proletarianisation of peasants in agrarian reform settlements and the double exclusion of the Guarani-Kaiowá Indigenous people.

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment for the Bioeconomy: The Case of the Production of Tramadol from 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran

“…The bioeconomy has the potential to enhance living conditions by providing access to biomass for energy production, implementing safety measures to combat workplace accidents, addressing various forms of pollution in water, air, and soil, and promoting better access to healthcare resulting from improved remuneration . While these outcomes are theoretically expected from the bioeconomy and the development of biorefineries, it is essential to assess the social aspects raised by this economic system because agricultural-related challenges need to be addressed. , Existing inequalities in land ownership, use, and access are compounded by the use of cheap and often exploited female and/or migrant labor, the loss of jobs due to mechanization, and the displacement of local indigenous populations dispossessed of their land for the benefit of industry. − …”