Comparative social hotpots analysis of biomass pellets in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico in a circular bioeconomy context

PurposeSocial dimensions have yet to be explored in the bioeconomy context. This topic is relevant in Latin America, where social conflicts have arisen, for example, in the forestry sector, because of the pressure on the local communities. This research aimed to compare the social impacts of pellet production systems in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. As a second goal, this research sought to contrast the results in each pellet production chain by comparing two social databases.MethodsSocial hotspots are determined based on the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) methodology through cradle-to-gate pellet production, using 100 MJ of pellets as a functional unit. Forestry, electricity, and fuel processes are included in the LCA system boundary. Two S-LCA databases, SHDB and SOCA, are used, focusing on sectoral and product-specific social aspects, respectively. The results are presented through Sankey diagrams, and a Principal Components Analysis assesses the sensitivity of results between the SHDB and SOCA databases.Results and discussionBrazil exhibits the highest social impacts using SHDB or SOCA databases, contrasting with Chile's lower impacts along the pellet production chain. Legal gaps in Brazil and Mexico concerning solid biofuels necessitated governance strategies to minimize associated social problems. In the case of Brazil, the SHDB and SOCA databases contributed to potential impacts in different ways. While forestry is a hotspot using the SHDB, electricity was the main process for the SOCA database. In the case of Chile and Mexico, the main risks are displayed for the forestry activities using both databases. The above was valid through the indices calculated through the Principal Components Analysis (PCA). These indices showed that quantitatively, the Brazilian pellets were the ones that showed the most remarkable social impacts, increasing the social impacts to more than 40% according to the SHDB. Moreover, the social impacts were approximately four times more (SOCA-based) when contrasted with Chilean and Mexican pellets.ConclusionsThis study proposes that forestry is the primary driver of social hotspots for pellet production in Latin America (considering the three case studies analyzed here), primarily linked to identified governance risks. To enhance the social dimension of the bioeconomy in these nations, it is crucial to incorporate these social aspects and impacts into policies. The Chilean context serves as a valuable benchmark for countries aiming to improve the social performance of biomass pellet production, emphasizing the need for short to medium-term advancements in the bioeconomy's social agenda.