Challenges in Agricultural Land Allocation: Biofuel Versus Food Production in Brazil

Objective: Analyze whether there is a risk of food insecurity in Brazil owing to competition between food and biofuel production, focusing on two main variables, namely commodity prices and land uses. Methods: This article sought to assess the importance of the food versus fuel debate in the academic setting by performing searches on the platform Google Scholar. Sugarcane, corn, and soybean crops were selected as the most relevant for this analysis. Originality/Value: The food versus fuel debate began in 2000. Discussions have sought to understand whether biofuel production impacts food security. In Brazil, one of the leading global producers of food crops and biofuels, this topic still requires further analysis. Results: The alarming export figures of food crops, such as sugarcane, and the territorial dominance of soybean, combined with the low utilization of soybean crops for biodiesel production, indicated that, in severe cases of food insecurity in Brazil, excessive export and the predominance of soybean production pose greater risks to food security than the diversion of food crops for biofuel production. Contributions: The study showed that, in the current scenario, biofuel production will not significantly impact food supply in Brazil in the coming years, thereby not affecting food security in terms of food availability. The main risks related to the decrease in food supply are due to climate conditions and export activities.