The Brazilian Biodiesel National Program and the social fuel label: remarks from Minas Gerais Case

The goal of this project is to examine the Brazilian Biodiesel National Program of Biodiesel (PNPB) and answer whether the Social Fuel Label implementation has been effective or not. The examination of the PNPB along the lines of economic, environmental, social and governance aspects shows the need of Brazil to diversify its biodiesel feedstock as a way to decrease its economic, environmental and social vulnerabilities. Also, the process of crop diversification could support the inclusion of small farm families in the biodiesel supply chain. We proposed that incentivizing small farmers to grow castor bean could not only help them increase their income but also contribute for Brazil’s crop diversification attempt. However, field research findings in Minas Gerais state proved that without small farmers access to credit and collective organization through agriculture cooperatives, neither crop diversification will happen nor small farmers be socially included.