The global search for alternative energies has put Brazil's sugarcane at the centre of the debate about the pros and cons of first-generation bioenergy as a supplier of global needs for cleaner energy. In fact, the already mature and structured sugar cane sector attracted important investments for its expansion. However, this led to global concerns about its social and environmental impact that soon became important planning criteria in the transition strategy to the bioeconomy. After all, the bioeconomy is intended to contribute to social development that is responsible for current and future generations. However, the debate about the impact of Brazil’s sugarcane was based on one hand on highly aggregated data and generalizations on the impacts of different raw materials, and on the other hand, on case studies with limited number of respondents, which conclusions are unable to reflect the whole sector. According to some authors, the low representation of local communities in the process of expansion impaired the otherwise positive impacts, especially for poverty reduction and social development. In order to identify whether the desired inclusion for sustainable development actually took place, we need an in-depth, broad and inclusive analysis of the most impacted actors, which were the communities surrounding the new plants being built. To fill this gap, this research was set-up to understand, value, systematize and incorporate local perceptions regarding the impact of sugar cane expansion areas. For this, literature review and analysis of secondary data are used as methodologies to support the content analysis of the interviews generated in expansion regions of 5 states in the Centre-South of Brazil, the main sugarcane expansion region in the country.@en

The growth in biofuels’ investment brings with it concerns about the social and environmental impacts of the sector. Several tools and frameworks have been used to address these concerns, including the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) framework. This paper analyzes whether this framework can be applied in contexts where local culture and values shape differently the freedom of speech and engagement, such as in developing countries in which biofuel innovation projects are often implemented. A literature review focused on eight case studies of other authors was used to explore the role of “participation” as a structural element of the RRI framework and the impact of its absence where effective participation in the innovation development process is not possible. In conclusion, we highlight how this inspirational normative framework, designed to influence innovation, is misused to judge its impacts. More than that, the conclusions of such misused applications reflect more the difficulties involved in applying guidelines than the responsible character of the innovation, whose impacts are usually defined upfront materially and measurably.

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Sugarcane expansion in Brazil during the 2000s was partly restricted by several discussions about the sustainability aspects of its cultivation. These discussions were mainly based on surveys that sometimes use highly aggregated data not including local perspectives and particularities, and sometimes used case studies with small samples which, while listening to local perspectives, cannot be considered representative of the whole sector. This work aims at filling this gap by considering both the perceptions of the local community, which add primary data on impact, and a large sample, to increase the research representativeness. To do so, we present the results of 353 interviews, covering 33 municipalities in five states of the Center-South region of Brazil (the largest cultivation area in the country). The results show that the expansion of biofuels has generated conflict mostly related to environmental and social issues, although there is good acceptance of the sugarcane mills in general. Our conclusions point to the importance of including local voices for a deeper understanding of the advantages and limitations of the expansion of biofuels.

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