Brazil has set itself the target of zero deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. But just as important as keeping the forest standing is recovering what has been deforested. It is precisely in these areas that were deforested in the Amazon region until 2007 that Grupo BBF (Brasil BioFuels) works with the sustainable cultivation of oil palm, a plant that gives rise to the most consumed vegetable oil in the world and which plays a fundamental role in the energy transition due to its power to produce biofuels and generate renewable energy for isolated areas in the North.
"Curbing illegal deforestation is fundamental, as is recovering what has already been degraded. Oil palm cultivation is an excellent option for these so-called anthropized areas, because in addition to recovering the forest soil, allowing the preservation of wild animals and capturing carbon, it also generates income and employment in these regions, a key factor in ensuring that the forest remains standing. Sustainable oil palm cultivation is synonymous with the bioeconomy," says Milton Steagall, CEO of Grupo BBF.
According to Steagall, palm oil can be used to create a bioeconomy in the electricity, chemical and biofuel sectors, as well as in agribusiness. "Our country has the potential to be a global leader in palm oil production. The sustainable development of the Amazon region is urgent. We need to find ways to keep the forest standing, but also provide jobs, income and wealth for the population," he says.
Brazil has one of the strictest laws in the world for the sustainable cultivation of oil palm, which prohibits the clearing of native forest for planting. Federal Government Decree 7.172 of May 2010 established that oil palm can only be grown in the Amazon in areas that were degraded before 2007. Based on extensive work carried out by Embrapa (the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), more than 31 million hectares were identified as suitable for oil palm cultivation in the region. Today, around 200,000 hectares have been recovered in the region with palm cultivation, 75,000 of which are cultivated by Grupo BBF in Pará and Roraima.
"Palm cultivation can't be mechanized, which is why it's a plant with an important social character, as it creates many jobs in remote areas. At Grupo BBF alone, around 5,000 direct jobs and another 15,000 indirect jobs are generated. I would also highlight the importance of palm oil for the production of biofuels, the generation of renewable energy and also for second generation biofuels, such as SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) and Green Diesel. It's a fantastic crop that recovers the Amazon rainforest and can boost the country's energy transition," says the CEO.
Currently, Grupo BBF has 25 thermoelectric plants in operation in the North, serving locations supplied by Isolated Systems. The plants run on biofuels (biodiesel and vegetable oil) and biomass from oil palm, which contributes to decarbonizing the region. More than 140,000 residents of isolated locations in the Amazon are benefiting from this energy generated from oil palm.
The company's sustainable palm cultivation also captures around 800,000 tons of carbon annually, of which 729,000 tons in Pará and 71,000 tons in Roraima. "We protect more than 60,000 hectares of Legal Reserve Areas (RL) and Permanent Preservation Areas (APP), which annually store around 26.6 million tons of carbon in Pará and 3.1 million tons of carbon in Roraima," says Steagall.
Federal government has plans to recover deforested areas in the Amazon
The federal government has carried out a series of measures in the Amazon region to curb deforestation and recover degraded areas, such as the launch of the Arc of Reconstruction, which foresees the recovery of 6 million hectares by 2030 and 24 million by 2050, as well as the National Program for the Conversion of Degraded Pastures. "These are important initiatives aimed at recovering areas, involving various players and market sectors," says Steagall.
For the company's CEO, curbing deforestation and restoring areas is the right equation for the future of the Amazon rainforest. "We have had a very positive experience in our 16 years of operation. In Roraima, in the municipality of São João da Baliza, the "MapBiomas Alert" tool identified that in areas close to our operations we have 85% fewer deforestation alerts than in areas further away in the same region. In addition, more than 5,000 records were made in our cultivation area and more than 400 species of wild animals were identified in our latest monitoring campaign. This shows that we are on the right track: generating wealth, keeping the forest standing and recovering what was degraded in the past," he says.
About Grupo BBF
Grupo BBF (Brasil BioFuels), a Brazilian company founded in 2008, is the largest palm oil producer in Latin America, with a cultivated area of over 75,000 hectares and a production capacity of 200,000 tons of oil per year. The company is a pioneer in creating sustainable solutions for generating renewable energy in isolated systems, with thermoelectric plants powered by biofuels produced in the region. Its agricultural activity recovers areas that were degraded until 2007 in the Amazon, following the Oil Palm Agroecological Zoning (ZAE), approved by Decree 7.172 of the Federal Government, of May 7, 2010.
Grupo BBF has created an integrated business model in which it operates from the beginning to the end of the value chain - from sustainable oil palm cultivation, crude oil extraction, biofuel production, biotechnology and renewable energy generation. Grupo BBF 's operations are located in the states of Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia, Roraima and Pará, comprising 38 thermoelectric plants (25 in operation and 13 under implementation), 3 oil palm crushing units, a soybean extruder and a biodiesel industry.
Check out the publication: https://valor.globo.com/patrocinado/dino/noticia/2024/09/05/cultivo-da-palma-recupera-areas-degradadas-da-amazonia.ghtml
