Land Use Change Net Removals Associated with Sugarcane in Brazil

Marjorie M. Guarenghi (), Danilo F. T. Garofalo (), Joaquim E. A. Seabra, Marcelo M. R. Moreira, Renan M. L. Novaes, Nilza Patrícia Ramos, Sandra F. Nogueira and Cristiano A. de Andrade
Additional contact information
Marjorie M. Guarenghi: Agroicone, Avenida Angélica, 2447 Higienópolis, Sao Paulo 01227-200, Brazil
Danilo F. T. Garofalo: Agroicone, Avenida Angélica, 2447 Higienópolis, Sao Paulo 01227-200, Brazil
Joaquim E. A. Seabra: School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Campinas, 200 Mendeleyev, Campinas 13083-860, Brazil
Marcelo M. R. Moreira: Agroicone, Avenida Angélica, 2447 Higienópolis, Sao Paulo 01227-200, Brazil
Renan M. L. Novaes: Embrapa Meio Ambiente, Rodovia SP-340, Km 127.5, Jaguariuna 13918-110, Brazil
Nilza Patrícia Ramos: Embrapa Meio Ambiente, Rodovia SP-340, Km 127.5, Jaguariuna 13918-110, Brazil
Sandra F. Nogueira: Embrapa Meio Ambiente, Rodovia SP-340, Km 127.5, Jaguariuna 13918-110, Brazil
Cristiano A. de Andrade: Embrapa Meio Ambiente, Rodovia SP-340, Km 127.5, Jaguariuna 13918-110, Brazil

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-26

Abstract: This work brings a refined estimation of the land use change and derived CO 2 emissions associated with sugarcane cultivation, including changes in management practices and refined land-use carbon stocks, over the last two decades for Brazil’s center–south and north regions. The analysis was carried out at the rural property level, considering spatially explicit land conversion data. With the refinements, we found a net carbon removal of 9.8 TgCO 2 ∙yr −1 in sugarcane cultivation areas in the 2000–2020 period, which was due to the expansion of sugarcane over poor quality pastures (55% of the gross removals), croplands (15%) and mosaic (14%) areas, and the transition from the conventional burned harvesting to unburned (16%). Moreover, 98.4% of expansion was over existent agricultural areas. Considering all the land use changes within sugarcane-producing rural properties, the net removal is even larger, of 17 TgCO 2 ∙yr −1 , which is due to vegetation recovery. This suggests that public policies and private control mechanisms might have been effective not only to control deforestation but also to induce carbon removals associated with sugarcane cultivation. These results indicate sugarcane production system and derived products as contributors to net carbon removals in the land sector in Brazil and should be considered for both bioenergy and agricultural sustainability evaluation.

Keywords: LUC; GIS data; MapBiomas; CAR; RenovaBio; carbon removal; ethanol (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:3:p:584-:d:1083751

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