As major global airlines embark on decarbonization plans, Brazil, the world’s largest producer of sugarcane ethanol for fuel, could become a key supplier of sustainable aviation fuel. In January, LanzaJet, the first ethanol-based aviation fuel producer, was launched in the United States. The company, backed by shareholders such as British Airways and Southwest Airlines, plans to source […]

  • Fuel produced from sugarcane in Brazil has become a strategic option for decarbonizing the aviation sector.

  • But companies operating in this business have been linked to recent reports of labor abuses on sugarcane farms, a new report from Repórter Brasil shows. The rise in reports of labor abuses is partly attributed to the growing outsourcing of labor for planting.

  • Workers hired via subcontractors lived in poor conditions without basic amenities, traveled long hours to reach the sugarcarne fields, and paid for their safety equipment.

  • While certifications needed to access the fuel market are meant to protect workers, experts says certifiers are not doing enough to ensure fair working conditions and pay.