As of Jan. 1 it is obligatory in Brazil to mix two percent biodiesel into gasoline derived from petroleum. With tax exemptions and low-cost credit, the Social Fuel Seal favors the inclusion of family farming in the production of diesel distilled from vegetable oils.

“To generage rural employment (it is important) to decentralize production” and take advantage of each oleaginous crop in different ecosystems, but small farming “will always be complementary” in the fuel market, which demands large-scale production and capital, Suzana Kahn, professor of engineering and transport at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told Tierramérica.

Around 100,000 family farms are already incorporated in the biodiesel program, according to the Ministry of Agricultural Development.