Mathematical Optimization Models in the Sugarcane Harvesting Process

Over the past few decades, due to environmental and economic factors, the sugarcane has been considered a versatile and important plant to the several countries. The energy-sugar-ethanol agro-industries are seeking to take advantage of all its material, with the main products produced being renewable energy, sugar and ethanol. In this chapter, we propose to present a review of the important works that use mathematical and computational tools, aiming to optimize the sugarcane harvesting, in the past 30 years

Trabalho e desgaste de migrantes no corte manual de cana de açúcar no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

The scope of this paper is to describe the work of manual sugarcane harvesters, assessing the nutritional behavior and body composition between the beginning and the end of the harvest. A descriptive longitudinal study was made of harvesters in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil, who answered a socio-demographic questionnaire and authorized measurement of Body Mass Index, Body Fat Percentage and Arm Muscle Circumference at three stages. Creatine kinase on the skeletal isoform, C-reactive protein and plasma urea were measured at the end of the harvest. Thirty male migrant harvesters with ages ranging from 18 to 44 from the Northeast (Ceará) were assessed over a nine-month period. The workers suffered significant body fat and weight loss in the first half of the harvest. Eighteen workers had abnormal levels of creatine kinase and four - out of 24 who had donated blood - had altered urea levels. Sugarcane harvesting work causes weight and body fat loss and gains in the lean body mass index, which suffers wear-out when working on consecutive harvests. It can also cause changes in biochemical markers of chronic systemic inflammation. Further studies will make it possible to comprehend the relationships between stress, wear-out, labor longevity and health in sugarcane harvesting.Descrever o trabalho de cortadores manuais de cana de açúcar avaliando o comportamento nutricional e a composição corporal do início ao final da safra. Estudo descritivo longitudinal de cortadores na região de Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brasil, por meio de um questionário sociodemográfico e antropométrico que permitiu medir Índice de Massa Corporal, Percentual de Gordura Corporal e Circunferência Muscular do Braço em três momentos. Ao final da safra foi dosada a Creatina Quinase na isoforma esquelética, proteína C reativa e ureia plasmática. Durante nove meses, 30 homens safristas migrantes nordestinos (Ceará), com idade de 18 a 44 anos foram estudados. Os trabalhadores tiveram perda significativa de gordura corporal e peso na primeira metade da safra. A maioria ganhou massa magra e os mais velhos na atividade ganharam menos. Dezoito trabalhadores apresentaram valores alterados de Creatina Quinase e quatro tiveram uréia alterada dentre os 24 que cederam sangue. O trabalho no corte de cana gera perda de peso e gordura corporal e aumento de massa magra que se desgasta com a história de trabalho em safras sucessivas. Pode ainda causar alteração de marcadores bioquímicos de inflamação crônica sistêmica. Novos estudos permitirão entender a relação esforço, desgaste, longevidade laboral e saúde no corte de cana.Universidade Estadual de CampinasUniversidade Estadual do Centro Oeste Departamento de Educação FísicaUniversidade de São Paulo Departamento de Saúde AmbientalUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Saúde, Clínica e InstituiçõesUNIFESP, Depto. de Saúde, Clínica e InstituiçõesSciEL

Typology of sugarcane production in Brazil: the use of multivariate statistics on municipal data.

Abstract: Given the large territorial extension and the high social and economic diversity, Brazil has a remarkable variability in agricultural cropping systems. The description and the understanding of this variability is fundamental for proposing research gaps, technology transfer and appropriate public policies for the sector. Sugarcane is used for several purposes on farms, such as household consumption, energy and sugar production, and forage production. Data collected during the 2006 agricultural census, accomplished by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), shows that 192,931 farms (3.7% of Brazilian farms) reported having grown sugarcane in 2006. This paper addresses the classification and characterization of the sugarcane producing municipalities in Brazil, using techniques of multivariate statistical analysis (factor and cluster analysis). The 41 variables used were created from the data collected by the 2006 agricultural census, covering 3,576 municipalities. Data went through a sugarcane filter, and was then regrouped by municipality. Those variables gather socioeconomic and technological information on the farms, such as land usage, harvested area, production goal, productivity, input usage, use of industrial wastes, irrigation, source of producer?s income, percentage of the income that comes from sugarcane, family or conventional farming, size of herds, distance from the farms to sugar mills, among the most important. Analyses identified 9 different groups of sugarcane production in the municipalities, remarking large variability of sugarcane sector in Brazil, and the clear spatial differences of production and technology use in the territory. The results of the statistical analysis and the characteristics of the groups were discussed among scholars specialized in sugarcane research and were considered coherent with Brazilian reality.ICAS VI

Mobilizing Sustainable Bioenergy Supply Chains

Analysis of the five globally significant supply chains conducted by IEA Bioenergy inter-Task teams – boreal and temperate forests, agricultural crop residues, biogas, lignocellulosic crops, and cultivated grasslands and pastures in Brazil – has confirmed that feedstocks produced using logistically efficient production systems can be mobilized to make significant contributions to achieving global targets for bioenergy. However, the very significant challenges identified in this report indicate that changes by all key members of society in public and private institutions and along the whole length of supply chains from feedstock production to energy product consumption are required to mobilize adequate feedstock resources to make a sustainable and significant contribution to climate change mitigation and provide the social and economic services possible. Notably, this report reveals that all globally significant bioenergy development has been underpinned by political backing, which is necessary for passing legislation in the form of mandates, renewable energy portfolios, carbon trading schemes, and the like. The mobilization potential identified in this report will depend on even greater policy support than achieved to date internationally.JRC.F.8-Sustainable Transpor

Development of a spatial equilibrium model for intermodal transport: the case of Brazilian ethanol

Background: The search for renewable sources of energy has been increasing the global demand for ethanol. Brazil is the second largest ethanol producer in the world. The increase in oil prices, the strong demand for clean and renewable sources of energy, and the intense commercialization of flex-fuel cars have created a very favorable scenario for biofuel production, including ethanol. Furthermore, ethanol has environmental advantages, as its combustion generates less carbon dioxide than gasoline. However, the growing demand for ethanol requires substantial investments in storage/tankage units at strategic locations and a transport structure that is compatible with the growing production and consumption of this fuel. In Brazil, ethanol is produced in the plants and transferred to collection centers for storage. Sometimes, the product could be directly transferred to the distribution base. This process is mostly carried out by road transport mode. However, currently, the country faces the risk of a logistics blackout as well as challenges regarding storage and transportation capacity, that end up affecting product competitiveness compared to major global players. Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze ethanol transportation alternatives in the face of current logistics conditions in Brazil. We propose a partial equilibrium model in the form of a Mixed Complementarity Problem (MCP) applied to ethanol. Two scenarios are examined: the first concerns a base scenario comprising road and multimodal transport with the currently charged freight and the second involves an estimated 15% decrease in railroad freight. Results: Scenario 2 shows relatively favorable trading volumes when compared with the base scenario. We also highlight that multimodality assumptions in scenario 2 resulted in competitiveness gains in the international market, this because 100% of the routes destined for the foreign market are multimodal routes. Conclusion: Transport systems that prioritize multimodality imply transportation cost reductions and improve the efficacy of the logistics system.109899