SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS OF ETHANOL LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION NETWORK IN BRAZIL

Mario MOLLO NETO; Oduvaldo VENDRAMETTO; Robert Ari WAKER

doi:10.18011/bioeng2010v4n1p49-56

Authors

Mario MOLLO NETO Programa de Pós Graduação em Engenharia de Produção – PPGEP – Universidade Paulista UNIP. Rua Dr. Bacelar, 1212, 4º andar – Vila Clementino – São Paulo – SP – CEP: 04026-002.
Oduvaldo VENDRAMETTO Programa de Pós Graduação em Engenharia de Produção – PPGEP – Universidade Paulista UNIP. Rua Dr. Bacelar, 1212, 4º andar – Vila Clementino – São Paulo – SP – CEP: 04026-002.
Robert Ari WAKER Programa de Pós Graduação em Engenharia de Produção – PPGEP – Universidade Paulista UNIP. Rua Dr. Bacelar, 1212, 4º andar – Vila Clementino – São Paulo – SP – CEP: 04026-002.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18011/bioeng2010v4n1p49-56

Keywords:

Social Network Analysis, Biofuels Production, Structural Indicators

Abstract

With growing interest worldwide in the use of liquid biofuels in the transport sector, ethanol is considered as one of the best alternatives. Rising oil prices, environmental concerns and interests in energy security have driven Brazilian researchers to look to biofuels production as a potential solution. Other driving forces are the need to stabilize commodity prices and cut down on agricultural subsidies. This paper describes the analysis of Brazilian large-scale network of ethanol production and lead to answer issues related to the sustainable development indicators by studying the structural characteristics of the production chain through social network analysis (SNA). The result showed two structural indicators that monitor the growth of the production chain and also indicates sustainability, based on the fact that no major change occurred in the area planted with sugarcane. The increasing power of distributors is noticed by the increase of the degree of centrality and the strengthening of the chain which is visible through the density evolution.

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