Environmental, economic, and social impacts of biofuel production from sugarcane in Australia

In this chapter, the environmental, social, and economic impacts of bioethanol produced from sugarcane are discussed in the context of Queensland where most of Australia’s cane is grown and processed. A brief background on sugarcane cultivation and processing precedes the discussion on the impacts. The benefits of bioethanol production from sugarcane include alleviation of carbon emissions, diminution of fuel imports, reduction in rural migration to cities because of employment generation, and synthesis of bio-based products. On the other hand, the negative impacts involve nutrient leaching into water bodies, land degradation, and the effects on native title. Recent introduction of corrective programs both by the federal (GBR Foundation Partnership) and the state (Queensland Biofutures Program) governments hopefully will find appropriate solutions to minimize the negative impacts.