Doce Amargo ( Bittersweet).
In thisproject I explore the region of Northwest of Sao Paulo state, the biggestproducer of sugarcane in Brazil.Part of the aim is to explore and document the negative impacts of sugarcanefarming, which is often promoted as a green energy solution. The project is focused on the change from manuallabour work to mechanized work. It is a portrait of the culture and traditionsthat are being lost. It is not just a project about arapidly growth of this monoculture in Brazil, it is also about all othercultures of farming that are literally disappearing such as cotton trees,coffee grain, cattle ranch and so on. Furthermore, in this project I intend todocument the people and environment of an area that has always been influencedby changing monocultures and migration.
Sugarcane Production has significantly boosted Brazil’s GDP.Sugarcane and ethanol production appear to be both an economic andenvironmental solution. However, there is another side to the story. Theproduction of sugarcane has to be mechanized in order to meet new environmentalregulations causing unemployment to almost 200,000 people. Sao Paulo state intends to have banned allsugarcane crops burning (a techniqueused to clear the field of potential dangers to the workers) by2014.
The ban of sugar cane burning as a way of cleaning the cane for manualcutting and the introduction of mechanization of the harvest, has changed notonly the numbers of people employed in sugarcane production but also theprofile of the average worker. Jobs will be created in the sugar and thealcohol industry for educated and skilled workers, but there will be a greaterreduction in the number of agricultural labourers. Many of these labourers aremigrants from poorer states, where the level of the education is lower. It isunlikely that there will be demand for these workers in the industry.
Althoughmechanisation is inevitable given the massive benefits to Brazil economy,skills and a way of life that have practiced in this region of Brazil for 100’sof years and being lost. This projects aims to capture the atmosphere andenvironment of Brazilsmanual labourers before they disappear.
Sugarcane Production has significantly boosted Brazil’s GDP.Sugarcane and ethanol production appear to be both an economic andenvironmental solution. However, there is another side to the story. Theproduction of sugarcane has to be mechanized in order to meet new environmentalregulations causing unemployment to almost 200,000 people. Sao Paulo state intends to have banned allsugarcane crops burning (a techniqueused to clear the field of potential dangers to the workers) by2014.
The ban of sugar cane burning as a way of cleaning the cane for manualcutting and the introduction of mechanization of the harvest, has changed notonly the numbers of people employed in sugarcane production but also theprofile of the average worker. Jobs will be created in the sugar and thealcohol industry for educated and skilled workers, but there will be a greaterreduction in the number of agricultural labourers. Many of these labourers aremigrants from poorer states, where the level of the education is lower. It isunlikely that there will be demand for these workers in the industry.
Althoughmechanisation is inevitable given the massive benefits to Brazil economy,skills and a way of life that have practiced in this region of Brazil for 100’sof years and being lost. This projects aims to capture the atmosphere andenvironment of Brazilsmanual labourers before they disappear.
