In Brazil, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is providing an up to $165 million financing to São Martinho S.A., one of Brazil’s leading producers of sugar, ethanol, and renewable energy. This investment aims to support the company’s decarbonization efforts in the agribusiness sector, contributing to climate change mitigation […]
In Thailand, The Nation reported that the volume of burnt sugarcane during the 2024-25 harvest season is expected to decrease by more than 10% compared to the previous year, with the target set at a 25% reduction, due to several incentives. An official of the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB) said that […]
In Bulgaria, Renewables Now reported that the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) has granted a $36.1 million loan to back the expansion of ethanol production and power generation from sugarcane biomass in Minas Gerais state. The funds will enable local company Companhia Mineira de Acucar e Álcool (CMAA) to add up to 34 MW of installed […]
In Thailand, The Nation reported that the country’s Industry Ministry is planning to propose a subsidy program aimed at buying all parts of sugarcane from farmers to help reduce the burning of harvest leftovers, a major contributor to PM2.5 air pollution. The report noted that the scheme is designed to encourage farmers to cut and […]
In Brazil, Reporter Brasil reports LanzaJet will use mainly Brazilian raw materials and will require its suppliers to obtain sustainability certification. However, among the companies that have been awarded the seal, there are at least two plants involved in recent scandals involving the use of slave labor. The cases are covered in the report “Enslaved […]
In India, the Press Trust of India reports the government has decided to again allow ethanol producers to use sugarcane juice, sugar syrup, B-Heavy molasses as well as C-Heavy molasses as feedstock beginning with the new marketing year in December. The food ministry said it would periodically review the sugar supply situation in light of […]
In India, the Deccan Chronicle newspaper reports that in spite of the government significantly restricting ethanol production from sugarcane juice in fear of a sugar shortage, ethanol blending still managed to surpass 15% as of May thanks to ethanol production from grains. Ethanol demand increased 19% during the first nine months of the 2023/24 season […]
In India, Business Standard reported that India’s Cooperation Minister Amit Shah called on sugar mills to explore alternatives to sugarcane for ethanol production. Shah said India would achieve its 20% ethanol blending target by 2025-26, ahead of the original 2030 deadline. The minister highlighted that the government’s ethanol blending program has helped reduce the country’s […]
In Florida, as a hybrid of Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum, sugarcane has the most complex genome of all crops. This complexity means that improving sugarcane through conventional breeding is challenging. Because of this, researchers turn to gene editing tools, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system to precisely target the sugarcane genome for improvement. In their […]
In Germany, Playmobil and McDonald’s are taking a joint step in the use of sustainable play material. From May, Playmobil animal figures made from at least 95 percent sugar cane-based plastic will be included in the Happy Meal® for the first time. The restaurant chain had been looking for bio-based material for over two years […]
