Application of the cane-sustainability method to assess the sustainability of the sugar-energetic sector in Goiás

Abstract

The expansion of sugarcane cultivation, the development and modernization of the sugar-energy sector contributed to the strengthening of Brazilian agribusiness, cooperating with the growth of the country's economy. Environmental and social equity concerns have intensified, mainly because of the globalization of the market, which imposes greater demands on the production of commercialized products. Due to the socio-environmental awareness arising from this new global position, it is necessary to adjust agricultural or agro-industrial activities so that the entire production system has a positive impact on the environment and society. In this sense, the objective was to apply a method of evaluating the sustainability of the expansion and of the productive systems of the sugarcane culture in the State of Goiás. The methodology was based on the application of the Sustenta-Cana Method. In this way, subsidies are provided to create a picture of the sustainability of the sugarcane production system in the State. The results indicate that the sector occupies the “most sustainable” position in the Sustenta-Cana Index. It is concluded that the methods can be important tools in assessing the sustainability of the sugar-energy sector in Goiás, which means that the culture is moving along the lines of agricultural sustainability.

Keywords: regional development; planning; environmental practices.