Ecobreves – BRASIL: Seed Energy

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

RIO DE JANEIRO, Apr 15 2001 (IPS) - The oil from the seeds of the 'andiroba,' a tree from the Amazon region, is bringing electricity to a small community in Brazil's Middle Juruá Extraction Reserve, an area dedicated to the sustainable production of natural rubber, nuts and fruits. The efficiency of the andiroba oil as a source of energy has already been proven, though it costs more than diesel, for example. It is a valid alternative, however, for areas whose isolation makes the delivery of conventional fuels very expensive, according to the National Agency of Electrical Energy.

The same oil is used by the local Amazon population to treat poisonous snakebites and insect stings. And the bran from the seeds is used to make candles that scare off the 'Aedes aegypti' mosquito, carrier of dengue and yellow fever.