ABSTRACT
The social and economic inclusion of marginalized populations is a major challenge faced by local and national governments in Brazil. Accordingly, various policies to improve the country's income distribution have been implemented since the 1990s. In 2003, the federal government launched the National Programme of Biodiesel Production (PNPB). This program encourages the production and use of biodiesel and aims to promote social inclusion and regional development in a sustainable way. Thus, it was proposed that the raw material used in the production of this fuel should be provided by family farmers. In Ceará the castor bean is the main feedstock slated for this program. In this chapter we examine the economic feasibility of family farm production of castor oil as an instrument of social inclusion.
