Production linkages of sugarcane´s complex in Brazil: the 2000s on a new approach of input-output matrix

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine to what extent the robust growth of the Brazilian industrial activities of the sugarcane complex (sugar and ethanol production) could stimulate growth in other economic activities, as well as the extent to which the growth of these other activities influenced the expansion of the sector in question. For this purpose, we calculated linkages indicators based on the official input-output matrices (IOM) of the years 2000 and 2005, which were modified to incorporate in the same matrix the activities: “Sugar Industry” and “Ethanol”. The same procedure was applied using an IOM estimated for 2009. The main results showed that sugar production has a higher productive linkage in comparsion to ethanol production. However, while there was a weakening of the power chaining of the sugar production, there was an increase in the effects of ethanol production on the rest of the economy in the second half of the last decade. We also draw attention to the expressive impacts on non-industrial activities, such as agriculture and various services activities.