MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil mourns death of creator of the controversial ‘bio-diesel’

Expedito Jose de Sá Parente “is a motive of pride for Brazil”, said President Rousseff

Brazilian scientist Expedito Jose de Sá Parent, 70, who is considered the creator of bio-diesel died this week in Fortaleza. President Dilma Rousseff paid tribute to the researcher who developed the ‘green’ fuel from oilseeds.

Chemical engineer Sá Parente “created bio-diesel which is a motive of pride for all Brazilians” recalled President Rousseff in an official release underlining that “the discovery patented by Brazil, had a wide international acknowledgement and has had a decisive influence in the country’s future”.

His dedication to bio-diesel “produced from the raw material developed by thousands of farmers’ families contributed significantly to reduce rural poverty” added Ms Rousseff.

Brazil is the world’s second largest producer of bio-fuels behind the US and has 74 plants with an annual capacity of six million cubic metres. Production in 2010 was 2.4 million cubic metres involving 276.000 small farmers.

But the issue is also controversial. Bio-fuels help save on fossil fuels and cuts drastically the emission of greenhouse gases which affect world warming and climate change. There are also benefits for farmers that can supply the market with a high value produce.

However bio-diesel extracted from oilseeds and other grains has also triggered criticism since it contributes indirectly to increase the price of food items worldwide, as more farmland is dedicated to the production of bio-fuels.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has repeatedly warned that the production of bio-fuels puts pressure on food prices and could be responsible for as much as 60% of global increases. Likewise bio-diesel forces the expansion of the agriculture frontier which leads to deforestation and to exhaust soils.