Brazil, which produces half of the world's ethanol, will need $4 billion to triple its production by 2020. Argentina will require $300 million in the next three years to maintain the levels of biodiesel and ethanol mandated in traditional fuels distributed at gas stations.
Latin America as a whole provides nearly 80 percent of all biofuels and has a clear potential for more:
Guatemala, Peru and Colombia, large sugar cane growers in the region, stand to benefit from the new boom in ethanol demand. These three are considered to be very efficient producers, yielding more sugar per acre than Brazil, which in turn is eight times more efficient than U.S. corn-based ethanol producers. Colombia too, as the fifth-largest exporter of palm oil, could become a source for biodiesel.
Join the Conversation