Análise da sustentabilidade da cadeia produtiva de etanol de batata-doce no município de Palmas - TO

Abstract

The present work had as objective to analyze the socio-economic and environmental viability of the implantation of a local productive arrangement for ethanol production from sweet potato in Palmas city. The chosen method to carry out this research was the social cost-benefit analysis, considering social aspects, economic yield, effect and environmental sustainability. The carried out analyzes had evidenced that the primary production of ethanol through sweet potato revealed to be more efficient than sugar cane in the social point of view for generating greater wage mass, and from the environmental point for not using fires in the process. The sugar cane needs bigger initial investment for its installation due the production scale and technologies normally used in Brazil, leading a sugar cane ethanol production to be cheaper than ethanol produced from sweet potato mini-plants. The ethanol production from sugar cane presented negative NPV in the primary and industrial productions, whereas the NPV of sweet potato ethanol was positive in the two situations, this occurs because the referring costs for the use of fire in the sugar cane plantation had been computed. The production of fine alcohol from sweet potato had showed more efficient, with a IRR of 1,87% p.a. for primary production and 4.77% for industrial production, against a IRR of 0,79% p.a. for sugar cane and 5,40% p.a for social point. All sweet potato mini-plants analyzed had revealed to be efficient for fine alcohol production, and for fuel alcohol production only the 4000 liters p.d. had demonstrated efficient, but if one considers the social benefits the mini-plants of 150, 500 and 1200 liters/day their also become efficient.