Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:20:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FranciscoNABN.pdf: 1571343 bytes, checksum: f30a0bcc5b0d576b24ed11dbd5f25df2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-09 / This doctoral thesis presents an analysis of the production of bicarbonates and related regional development in Brazil. It is widely believed that one of Brazil s vocations lies in the agro-energy sector. However, current national agro-energy policies, together with the experience of Petrobras (the national oil company) in rural settlements in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, show that Brazil has fallen short of effectively including the North and Northeast regions of the country, let alone small-scale rural producers (residing in rural settlements or not), in the development process and related benefits from the country s participation in the current world energy grid. The methodology entails secondary research related to the theme, such as books, official documents, websites and statistical databases from diverse sources, in addition to an analysis of statements from interviews of Petrobras representatives and other important scientific, institutional and labor union authorities, in relation to agro-energy issues and the socio-economic participation of family-based agriculture in this process. Principal findings show a correlation between agro-energy and regional development, creating the potential for numerous opportunities and challenges. Findings demonstrate the possibility of reversing/reducing historically rooted indices of hunger and poverty that continue to devastate the North and Northeast regions. At the same time, the thesis points to a potentially catastrophic increase in regional disparities, should the present historic moment not be seized upon so as to include these regions. Classic examples of non-policy at the federal level are presented as evidence of the absence of a regionally focused agroenergy policy in the current government, reinforced by the experiences of Petrobras in the Rio Grande do Norte rural settlements. Finally, the thesis concludes that there is an urgent need to create a government-sponsored enterprise (with a structure similar to Petrobras) with the purpose of implementing a truly broad and inclusive development process for the bicarbonates production sector, while remaining attentive to Brazil s opportune and critical role in the world s current agro-energy scenario. / Analisa a rela??o entre a produ??o de biocarburantes e a quest?o regional. Acredita-se que a produ??o agroenerg?tica ? uma voca??o brasileira, contudo, a atual pol?tica nacional agoenerg?tica e a experi?ncia dos assentamentos rurais apoiados pela Petrobras, no Rio Grande do Norte, n?o incluem efetivamente as regi?es Norte e Nordeste do Brasil, tampouco os pequenos produtores rurais (assentados ou n?o) nos benef?cios decorrentes da atual mudan?a na matriz energ?tica mundial. A metodologia utilizada inclui a pesquisa secund?ria concernente ao tema, tais como livros, documentos oficiais, sites, bases estat?sticas entre as demais fontes, e ainda a an?lise de discurso tomando por base entrevistas realizadas junto ? Petrobras e com importantes autoridades cient?ficas, institucionais e sindicais relacionadas ? quest?o agroenerg?tica e a inclus?o s?cio-econ?mica da agricultura familiar neste processo. Os principais resultados indicam que a correla??o entre agroenergia e a quest?o regional apresenta in?meras potencialidades e desafios. Aponta para a possibilidade de revers?o/redu??o dos hist?ricos indicadores de fome e pobreza que assolam o Norte e o Nordeste. Contudo, tamb?m indica que a n?o pol?tica agroenerg?tica no atual governo federal, assim como experi?ncias da Petrobras nos assentamentos do Rio Grande do Norte s?o exemplos claros de n?o pol?tica que podem agravar o quadro de disparidades regionais de forma abissal, caso n?o haja aproveitamento deste momento hist?rico. Por fim conclui que urge a cria??o de uma empresa de economia mista (nos moldes da Petrobras) e integradora especializada na produ??o de biocarburantes, que trate desta quest?o com a urg?ncia e import?ncia que o Brasil ocupa no cen?rio agroenerg?tico mundial, numa perspectiva verdadeiramente includente e abrangente.