The impacts of climate change are inevitable and driven by increased levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, requiring mitigation and re-adaptation measures. In this context, this article critically analyzes the influence of drying technology type, forest biomass, and GHG emissions resulting from the energy required for drying agricultural crops, by presenting a case study of tobacco drying. In this study, the influence of increasing the technological level of drying unit (curing units CUs), using E. saligna and E. dunnii firewood and Pinus sp. pellets, was evaluated; considering consumption efficiency, energy efficiency, and concentration of gas emissions (CO, CO₂, C_XH_Y and NO_X), as well as emission factors in tCO₂-eq. The results showed that when increasing the technological level of the CUs, there is a decrease in fuel consumption and emissions. The reduction can reach 60.28% for the amount of biomass consumed and 67.06% in emissions in tCO₂-eq; for the scenario of a production crop, using a CU with a continuous load (Chongololo) and firewood from E. dunnii. The use of pellets proved to be efficient, with the lowest consumption of biomass and emissions with more technological CUs.

The value chains that compose family farming constitute several economic activities relevant to the Brazilian economy. The tobacco sector stands out for its financial aspect but also its environmental appeal. For this reason, it has been giving special attention to the sustainability of the production process, including the energy efficiency of tobacco drying, where forest biomass is used as a renewable energy source. Thus, the objective of this work was to carry out a diagnosis of forest production and consumption by tobacco producers. The applied methodology was based on the inventory of the producers’ forests and the Brazilian Association of Tobacco Growers’ database. It was estimated that the sector’s forestry base, comprised of the seven VTPR (Virginia tobacco-producing regions), had a total of 116,103.05 ha of Eucalyptus forest plantations. It is possible to observe that the forest structure is deregulated in both areas. The PR – Southeast, SC – North Plateau, SC – Alto Vale, and RS – Costa Doce regions showed a firewood deficit. The regions SC – Coast, and RS – Central Depression presented an oversupply of forest biomass. There is energy self-sufficiency for tobacco production for some of the VTPR. However, the scenarios showed a firewood deficit in part of the regions. Thus, results show that it is necessary to implement strategic plans to achieve energy self-sufficiency for the sector.

Due to globalization, market evolution, and technological implementations, the production chains have been improving, becoming essential for the consolidation of several products in the market, including charcoal, used as a renewable energy source. Thus, the objective of this work was to characterize the structure of this chain, from the qualitative and quantitative perspective, in the municipalities of the Valleys of Caí and Taquari and the interaction between the actors involved. The methodology was based on the division of the chain into macrosegments, with socioeconomic units of production characterized by the application of questionnaires. As a result, it was verified the presence of the production macrosegment (nursery and reforestation sectors), industrialization (charcoal production and packaging sectors), and commercialization (packaging sector), formed by family units. The packaging segment has outsourced manpower and more technology than the others. It was evidenced that a single socioeconomic unit of production can be part of more than one macrosegment or segment and, allied to this, in general, it is possible to perceive the characterization of a long chain of production. It appears that only 3.8% of charcoal producers also pack and sell their products, the remainder (96.2%) sell their production to packers who standardize the product, making the sale to the final consumer directly or indirectly.

A demanda por madeira vem contribuindo para o desenvolvimento do setor florestal em larga escala e também no que tange às pequenas propriedades, visto que a matéria-prima é utilizada diretamente na área rural, além de poder constituir significativo aumento de renda dos produtores. Objetivou-se realizar a análise financeira, econômica e de sensibilidade de duas propostas de investimento florestal caracterizadas por serem implantadas em propriedades rurais baseadas na agricultura familiar da região Centro Serra - RS. Os fatores considerados foram o Valor Presente Líquido, Valor Anual Equivalente, Taxa Interna de Retorno, Benefício-custo e Custo Médio de Produção. A análise de sensibilidade avaliou os projetos em duas taxas de juros distintas e considerou a variação do preço de venda da madeira em +10% a -10%. O estudo demonstrou a viabilidade financeira dos reflorestamentos em todos os cenários analisados. A análise de sensibilidade evidenciou a diminuição da lucratividade dos reflorestamentos com o aumento da taxa de juros e a diminuição do preço da madeira em 10%. O reflorestamento implantado foi considerado viável, além de se caracterizar como fonte de renda complementar. Sendo assim, faz-se necessário planejamento e manejo adequado para esses plantios, além da implementação de políticas públicas para fomento florestal, visto que a região Centro Serra possui mercado para absorver a matéria-prima produzida.

A Acacia mearnsii (acácia-negra) é uma espécie em destaque no Rio Grande do Sul (RS), devido às suas diversas finalidades, tanto pelo fornecimento de tanino, como para celulose e energia. Porém, mesmo sendo uma espécie importante economicamente, não se tem trabalhos que relatem a realidade do setor. Dessa forma, o objetivo desse artigo foi identificar a disponibilidade da matéria-prima de acácia-negra nos principais municípios produtores do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, associada à demanda de mercado, a fim de que se possa obter um resultado que auxilie no planejamento do setor para os anos futuros. Para tanto, foram utilizadas técnicas de sensoriamento remoto para quantificar a área plantada e dados da bibliografia para gerar os cenários de oferta e demanda. Nos resultados, obteve-se um total de 34.211 hectares de acácia-negra mapeados durante o ano de 2016/2017, valor este bem inferior ao disponibilizado pelo órgão ambiental de 51.231,55 hectares. Além disso, objetivando mensurar e caracterizar a demanda e oferta de acácia-negra, foi possível estimar que a produção atualmente atende poucos anos de demanda da matéria-prima (madeira e casca), se considerada a estagnação do plantio atual. Há necessidade de maiores incentivos, fomento florestal, manutenção de um preço mínimo e flexibilização nas regras de licenciamento, para se evitar um futuro colapso no mercado.

Greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, primarily resulting from the use of fossil fuels, have become an increasing concern regarding global warming. Given this scenario, it is necessary to develop actions that help reduce the gases emitted by different sectors. Forest biomass, as an alternative fuel, contributes to the sustainability of consuming sectors, as forests help remove carbon from the atmosphere, compensating for CO2 emissions, and it is also a source with excellent energy potential. Therefore, the present study aims to analyze gas emissions from the use of forest biomass as a renewable fuel during the drying process of agricultural crops, verifying whether the emissions comply with the limits established by legislation. The results indicate emission values exceeding the limits established by FEPAM Technical Guideline No. 001/2018, but in compliance with CONAMA Resolution No. 436/2011 for CO, with 1,439.61 mg/Nm³ for the Kepler furnace and 2,135.80 mg/Nm³ for the FOJS 24ª210V. Both are within the stipulated limits for NOx emissions, with 107.59 mg/Nm³ for the Kepler furnace and 127.34 mg/Nm³ for the FOJS 24ª210V. Forest biomass is an excellent alternative; however, it is important to conduct further studies to analyze the structural characteristics of furnaces, as well as the use of different types of biomasses, considering their physical and chemical characteristics, to achieve good efficiency while reducing gas emissions.