ABSTRACT
Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world. The Brazilian population is estimated to be 122.2 million with a growth rate of 2.8 percent per year. Alcohol is a traditional energy source in Brazil, as it has been used as a motor-car fuel. The Government plans to increase the role of wood, in the form of charcoal, in the Brazilian energy balance. Brazilian land tenure has been historically characterised by the domination of large monoculture estates. Small-scale agriculture is responsible for the largest portion of food production in Brazil. Agricultural policy contributes to this since it determines the prices for basic foodstuffs, which are profitable only with traditionally-established costs that is, with an underpaid labour force. The emphasis was put on the production of agricultural surpluses for export and opening new markets abroad for manufactured products, through negotiations with the multinational firms with subsidiaries in Brazil.
