A importância da produção de açúcar no Brasil: revisão sobre os aspectos sócio-econômicos-ambientais do processo produtivo do açúcar no Brasil

Abstract

The objective of this work is to review the socio-environmental and socio-economic aspects of the sugar production process from sugar cane in Brazil. In this way, obtaining with the work the understanding of the concepts of the productive process of sugar in Brazil and mainly, its relation with socioenvironmental and socioeconomic aspects, that present its importance for the country. In Brazil, sugar production comes from the cultivation of sugar cane, making the country the world's largest producer and the largest exporter of sugar, followed by India and China. Data from the Union of the Sugarcane and Bioenergy Industry (UNICA) and the National Supply Company (CONAB) indicate that the country currently has around 8.1 million hectares planted and processed around 665.1 million tons in the 2020/2021 harvest. Sugarcane production takes place by region: from September to March in the north and northeast regions, and from April to November in the center-south, therefore, the planting and harvesting process in Brazil is practically continuous. Due to the fact that Brazil occupies the first place in the world in the production and export of sugar and ethanol, linked to the growth of the world population, the food industry and the constant search for renewable fuels that can replace oil and that are less harmful to the environment environment, the cultivation and processing of sugarcane has increasingly gained global prominence, and consequently, the sugar production process.