South American countries develop joint strategy to promote sustainable biofuels

Members of the Southern Agricultural Council (Consejo Agropecuario del Sur, CAS) have agreed to carry out research and develop policies to increase sustainable biofuel production across South America. The decision was made during the 13th CAS Regular Meeting, in Asunción, Paraguay.

CAS is a forum for the ministers of agriculture of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The Declaration of the Ministers [*.pdf] states that:

We stress the importance of bioenergy for the CAS member states and take account of the social, techno-political and environmental implications of the sector. From now on we consider bioenergy to be a priority for the CAS, as it can contribute to local and territorial development.

Importantly, the countries agreed to develop a policy framework that will ensure bioenergy becomes a productive sector that yields social benefits and employment, without damaging the environment and without displacing food production. It will also work to protect and recognize land rights to farmers, and will promote the participation of family run farms in the sector.

The framework will identify the zones suitable for agriculture, forestry and pasture development in the member states and analyse which regions should preferrably be devoted to bioenergy production and food production respectively.

CAS will foster scientific, technical, financial and policy cooperation amongst its member states because the sector spans several common themes found in all countries.

They further agreed to develop a dialogue on issues such as scientific and technological exchange, comparative review of legislation, biofuel production and frameworks to monitor environmental impacts. This dialogue will be shared throughout the hemisphere and with other regions in the world. To do this, the declaration mentions the establishment of an ad-hoc Coordination Group for Biofuels which will strive towards managing this cooperation throughout MERCOSUR.

The technical bureaus of the REDPA (Red de Coordinación de Políticas Agropecuarias) receive a mandate to track the technological, market regulation, management and legal developments on biofuels internationally and report to CAS member states.

Besides the production of liquid biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel, the development of other forms of bioenergy, based on forestry, will be identified and their technical and economic aspects analysed:
energy :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: ethanol :: biodiesel :: forestry :: agriculture :: sustainability :: cooperation :: South America ::

CAS member states will develop a common strategy to attract (foreign) investments in the biofuels sector throughout the region and will cooperate on designing the most optimal investment climate to that end.

All of the countries involved — except Chile — already have national legislation on biofuels. Every country will consider their national strategies, to set their own goals and deadlines to move agro-energy development forward.

For example, Chile intends to consolidate its use and production of biofuel —mainly bioethanol — by 2012. In Argentina the Biofuels Promotion Law, passed last year, says that from 2010 fuels such as gasoil and diesel will have to be blended with five per cent biofuel.

Earlier this month sugar cane-derived ethanol was included in a list of biofuels that can be added to conventional fuel in Argentina (previous post).

References:
Consejo Agropecuario del Sur: Declaración de Ministros y representantes de Agricultura [*.pdf] - December 3 - 4, 2007.

Consejo Agropecuario del Sur: CAS expresa posición regional sobre agroenergía y agricultura familiar - December 4, 2007.

Biopact: Argentina's government amends biofuels law to include incentives for sugarcane ethanol - October 12, 2007