Potential Crops for Biodiesel Production in Brazil: A Review

Recently biodiesel has been receiving increasing attention as an alternative fuel due to its environmental benefits. Also, it is derived from renewable sources which are considered as strategic opportunities to favor environmental sustainability, to improve the population’s quality of life and to promote the development of more efficient and equitable economic systems. Since the petroleum crises in 1970s, increasing prices rapidly and uncertainties concerning petroleum availability, a growing concern of the environment and the effect of greenhouse gases during the last decades, has revived more and more interests for using the vegetable oils as a substitute of fossil fuel. All vegetable oils referred as fixed oils or triglycerides can be used as raw matter for biodiesel production. This is a promising activity in Brazil due to the potential growth of physic nut, sunflower, soybean, castor bean, African palm, babassu, cotton, peanut, linseed, macauba, pequi, buriti, sesame, canola and other. The production and commercialization of biodiesel in Brazil could provide an opportunity to diversify energy and agricultural activity, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and contributing to economic growth in a sustainable manner. This article is a review on potential crops for biodiesel production in Brazil, emphasizing aspects as the best planting dates, the regions appropriated for cultivation, the crop requirements, the social and economic importance of the crops and the recent studies about their use as raw matter for biodiesel production.