At the International Seminar of Biofuels in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in November 2008, a new book entitled "Sugarcane-based bioethanol: Energy for sustainable development" was launched. Co-ordinated by the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the Center for Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE) with support from the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the 300-page book aims to provide grounds for a meaningful and objective discussion on the potential and constraints of producing bioethanol from sugarcane, especially in those countries where sugarcane is already being cultivated. Chapter 5 on `Advanced technologies in the sugarcane agroindustry` discusses applications of biotechnologies for the conversion of lignocellulosic residues to bioethanol. See http://www.bioetanoldecanadeazucar.org (in English, Spanish and Portuguese) or contact [email protected] for more information.

04/12/2008