Milton Steagall, CEO of Grupo BBF (Brasil BioFuels) emphasized the importance of sustainable practices in the countryside. (Photo: Felipe Ferugon / LIDE)
In line with the discussion of a more sustainable agribusiness, the CEO of Grupo BBF (Brasil BioFuels), Milton Steagall, which operates in five states in the Amazon region, recalled the importance of palm cultivation for Brazil and its great potential. According to him, even with one of the strictest legislations for a crop, the production of palm oil, "the oil most consumed by humanity", is still timid.
Steagall recalled the process with the Federal Government and Embrapa in putting into practice the Federal Government's 2010 decree 7172 that, at the time, envisioned 31 million hectares likely to be recovered in degraded areas of the Amazon Rainforest by oil palm. Today, there are less than 200 thousand hectares cultivated by a small number of companies operating in the states of Pará and Roraima.
"Palm oil is the most widely consumed by humanity, present in various foods and hygiene and beauty items, as well as being fundamental to Brazil's energy transition. It is the main raw material for the development of the unprecedented Green Diesel (HVO) and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) biofuels, which Grupo BBF will produce from the end of 2025. Unfortunately, Brazil still has to import large volumes of palm oil from Asian countries: around 30% of the total volume for the domestic market comes from other countries, according to 2022 data from the Ministry of Economy's Foreign Trade Secretariat," says Steagall.
Read the full story at: https://lider.inc/noticias/mundo/brasil-precisa-aumentar-as-terras-produtivas-e-isso-nao-significa-desmatamento-analisa-katia-abreu-2
