@article{fdi:010049542,
  title = {{N}et greenhouse gas fluxes in {B}razilian ethanol production systems},
  author = {{G}aldos, {M}. {V}. and {C}erri, {C}. {C}. and {L}al, {R}. and {B}ernoux, {M}artial and {F}eigl, {B}. and {C}erri, {C}. {E}. {P}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}iofuels are both a promising solution to global warming mitigation and a potential contributor to the problem. {S}everal life cycle assessments of bioethanol have been conducted to address these questions. {W}e performed a synthesis of the available data on {B}razilian ethanol production focusing on greenhouse gas ({GHG}) emissions and carbon ({C}) sinks in the agricultural and industrial phases. {E}missions of carbon dioxide ({CO}2) from fossil fuels, methane ({CH}4) and nitrous oxide ({N}2{O}) from sources commonly included in {C} footprints, such as fossil fuel usage, biomass burning, nitrogen fertilizer application, liming and litter decomposition were accounted for. {I}n addition, black carbon ({BC}) emissions from burning biomass and soil {C} sequestration were included in the balance. {M}ost of the annual emissions per hectare are in the agricultural phase, both in the burned system (2209 out of a total of 2398 kg {C}-eq), and in the unburned system (559 out of 748 kg {C}-eq). {A}lthough nitrogen fertilizer emissions are large, 111 kg {C}-eq ha-1 yr-1, the largest single source of emissions is biomass burning in the manual harvest system, with a large amount of both {GHG} (196 kg {C}-eq ha-1 yr-1). and {BC} (1536 kg {C}-eq ha-1 yr-1). {B}esides avoiding emissions from biomass burning, harvesting sugarcane mechanically without burning tends to increase soil {C} stocks, providing a {C} sink of 1500 kg {C} ha-1 yr-1 in the 30 cm layer. {T}he data show a {C} output: input ratio of 1.4 for ethanol produced under the conventionally burned and manual harvest compared with 6.5 for the mechanized harvest without burning, signifying the importance of conservation agricultural systems in bioethanol feedstock production.},
  keywords = {biofuel ; carbon footprint ; global warming ; life cycle assessment ; soil carbon sequestration},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{G}lobal {C}hange {B}iology {B}ioenergy},
  volume = {2},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {37--44},
  ISSN = {1757-1693},
  year = {2010},
  DOI = {10.1111/j.1757-1707.2010.01037.x},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010049542},
}