Land Use Change Net Removals Associated with Sugarcane in Brazil

This work brings a refined estimation of the land use change and derived CO2 emissions associated with sugarcane cultivation, including changes in management practices land-use carbon stocks, over last two decades for Brazil’s center–south north regions. The analysis was carried out at rural property level, considering spatially explicit conversion data. With refinements, we found net removal 9.8 TgCO2∙yr−1 cultivation areas 2000–2020 period, which due to expansion poor quality pastures (55% gross removals), croplands (15%) mosaic (14%) areas, transition from conventional burned harvesting unburned (16%). Moreover, 98.4% existent agricultural areas. Considering all within sugarcane-producing properties, is even larger, 17 TgCO2∙yr−1, vegetation recovery. suggests that public policies private control mechanisms might have been effective not only deforestation but also induce removals cultivation. These results indicate production system products as contributors sector Brazil should be considered both bioenergy sustainability evaluation.