The Emerald Desert (Brazil)
Brazil has recently become the largest producer and exporter of sugar. Ed Kashi followed the production chain from the heartland of low-cost production around São Paulo to the harbours and factories where billions are made by processing and trading sugar and ethanol, a biofuel made from sugar cane. His work depicts an industry with a remarkable level of sophistication and attention to energy saving techniques, and stewardship of the land. But this success story has its drawbacks: it created a monoculture of cane fields stretching over several states and threatening bio-diversity, while the production of energy crops on farmland affects food prices
