BRAZIL ETHANOL MARKET SURVEY PHOTOLOG 2

At the Ribeirao Preto branch of the Instituto Agronomico de Campinas (IAC), talking with ethanol consultant Marcelo Coelho (left), from E-machine Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, who kindly arranged the visit. Prof. Antônio Carlos Vasconcelos, one of the world's leading scientists in sugarcane genetic enhancement, stands in the middle. (Picture: Tom MacDonald)
The IAC keeps a living collection of all the sugarcane varieties ever grown in Brazil, from Saccarum officinarum, planted in the country since the 1500s, to the IACSP strains it is cultivating to provide higher sucrose content, better resistance to disease and pests, and superior adaptability to new soils and climates.

From April to September 2007, I traveled around Brazil comparing the Brazilian and American biofuels markets. In August I was joined by Tom MacDonald, senior alcohol fuels specialist with the California Energy Commission. All photos shown on Ethablog were taken during that time.