Generating socioeconomic and environmental data in three sub basins of the Rio Grande to feed the debate about biofuels

The expansion of the agricultural frontier for the production of biofuels in the Paraná river basin, as well as the social and environmental impacts of this process, are alarming. The Rio Grande Basin is located in the hydrological region of Paraná, currently the region with the highest economic development in the country. Also, it is on the intersection of the two most endangered ecosystems in Brazil, the Mata Atlantica and Cerrado. At present, large areas are being used for the expansion of sugar cane for the production of ethanol. The prospects are that the national demand for ethanol will continue to rise due to the increasing use of so called flex cars and changes in the requirements of the Kyoto agreement. Expansion of sugar cane production is not only affecting ecosystems , but also the local population, which depends on natural resources from their environment. 4CM is part of the Rede Sustentabilidade dos Biocombustibles (Redebio) together with others like CASA, Mater Natura, ECOA and Vitae Civilis. The project submitted is discussed and agreed upon by the members of the network. Redebio is an existing consultation body that gathers a number of organizations that share the vision that the process of expansion of ethanol production requires more information, transparency and capacity of the civil society. There only a few studies with field evidence showing the impact of the agricultural expansion, specifically with Ethanol in the Rio Grande Basin. The overall goal of this project is to involve local actors in three of the sub basins of the Rio Grande river basin in the (inter)national discussion about the sustainability of the biofuel production chain, using and dissemintaing information. To achieve this, 4CM will implement a social, economical and environmental survey and will collect all the data in a database and a report. These data will be shared with local stakeholders, Redebio, and through a virtual network. The creation of this network is the second objective of this project. This project is closely related to the project implemented by Mater Natura with funds from EGP.