The future of corn and soybeans traded on exchanges in Chicago (CBOT) ended on the rise, driven by the floods in the Mid-west U.S., conditions that threaten the predictions of both crops. The commodity recorded records in stock for the seventh consecutive session.

The July contract corn recorded increase of 22.75 cents, to $ 7.3175 per bushel, reaching achieve record for the first ending of $ 7.3750 per bushel.

The December contract on the next crop, showed high of 25.50 cents, quoted at U.S. $ 7.65 per bushel. The contract in July of 2009 reached a historical maximum for the cereal, from $ 7.8450 per bushel.

The contract for July soybeans rose 23.50 cents, quoted at $ 15.60 per bushel. On November the crop advanced 18.50 cents, to $ 15.31 per bushel.

At the beginning of the stock trading, soy, corn and wheat had a falling pressured by the realization of profits.

But the wheat also closed high, influenced by the movement in soybeans and corn and by technical buying.

The July wheat gained 31 cents, to $ 8.82 per bushel.

Alcohol sales in the home market by the end of May (adding up anhydrous and hydrated) recorded an increase of 31.6% over the same period in 2007. In the case of hydrated ethanol, growth was 43.6%. Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, technical director of Unica, said that the product exporting in the months of April and May, totaled about 600 million litres, exceeding 59% in the volume board in the same period of last year’s harvest.

Trying to solve this problem Brazil government is boosting its output of ethanol made from sugar cane without hindering efforts to increase food production. Brazil is the world’s largest sugar producer, and it is expected to use the majority of the cane it harvests this season to make ethanol.
Most of the studies show that there are additional efficiencies to produce biofuel from sugar and also there are more benefits in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

On the other hand, U.S. ethanol is made from corn, which, could be exported to feed the hungry, and benefited from tariffs that block Brazilian ethanol, which is produced much more efficiently from sugar cane.

There is a second stage of biofuels that is under development with cellulosic materials, and a number of people highlighted that because it may be a way of avoiding some of the energy costs but without using current food production.
Cellulosic ethanol is a type of biofuel produced from lignocellulose, a structural material that comprises much of the mass of plants. Lignocellulose is composed mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Corn stover, switch grass, miscanthus and woodchip are some of the more popular cellulosic materials for ethanol production.

The World Bank also has blamed the boom in biofuels for the rise in global food prices. That has put Mr. Zoellick in a ticklish position. Before taking his job at the World Bank, he was U.S. Trade Representative, and defended U.S. agricultural positions. In his Thursday news briefing, he didn’t mention the U.S. by name, but he praised sugar-based ethanol of the sort made in Brazil and questioned whether tariffs to block the fuel — such as the U.S. uses — make “economic sense.”

After 20 years of being behind US in soy export Brazil with honors surpass US becoming the #1 exporter of Soy in the world in 2007, and also the #1 exporter of coffee, orange juice and beef.

Since the president Lula released the law that says Brazil has to mix 5% of Biodiesel in regular Diesel by the end of 2012 many small farmers from northeast are harvesting Castor Oil and Jatropha to sell for Biodiesel refineries.

The incentives for planting for Biodiesel production are enormous, some refinery are buying the harvest of 5 years in advance and there’s a chance of this small cooperatives of farmers to get some money out of the Kyoto’s Protocol too.

The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing Greenhouse gases that cause climate change. It was agreed on 11 December 1997 at the 3rd Conference of the Parties to the treaty when they met in Kyoto, and entered into force on 16 February 2005.

The fruit, a small, round, black-purple drupe about 1 inch (25 mm) in diameter, similar in appearance and size to a grape but with less pulp, is produced in branched panicles of 700 to 900 fruits. Two crops of fruit are produced per year. The fruit has a single large seed about 7–10 mm in diameter. The exocarp of the ripe fruits is a deep purple color, or green, depending on the kind of açaí and its maturity. The mesocarp is pulpy and thin, with a consistent thickness of 1 mm or less. It surrounds the voluminous and hard endocarp which contains a seed with a diminutive embryo and abundant endosperm.^{[citation needed]} The seed makes up about 80% of the fruit (Schauss, 2006c).

Harvesting and uses

Stem

Heart of palm, the soft inner growing tip of some palms (Euterpe edulis, Euterpe oleracea, Bactris gasipaes), is often consumed in salads.^{[citation needed]}

Fruit

Serving of açaí juice

The berries are also harvested as food. In a study of three traditional Caboclo populations in the Amazon region of Brazil, açaí palm was described as the most important plant species because the fruit makes up such a major component of diet (up to 42% of the total food intake by weight) and is economically valuable in the region (Murrieta et al., 1999).

The juice and pulp of açaí fruits (Euterpe oleracea) are frequently used in various juice blends, smoothies, sodas, and other beverages. In northern Brazil, açaí (or jussara, which is one of the fruit’s common folk names) is traditionally served in gourds called “cuias” with tapioca and, depending on the local preference, can be consumed either salty or sweet (sugar, rapadura and honey are known to be used in the mix). Açaí has become popular in southern Brazil where it is consumed cold as açaí na tigela (“açaí in the bowl”), mostly mixed with granola – a fad where açai is considered as an energizer. Açaí is also widely consumed in Brazil as an ice cream flavor or juice.

As açaí deteriorates rapidly after harvest, its raw material is generally only available outside the immediate growing region as juice or fruit pulp that has been frozen, dried, or freeze-dried. However, several companies now manufacture juices, other health drinks, and sorbets made from açaí berries, often in combination with other fruits.

Other uses

Apart from the use of its berries as food, the açai palm has other purposes. Leaves may be used for making hats, mats, baskets, brooms and roof thatch for homes, and trunk wood, resistant to pests, for building construction (Silva, 2005).

Comprising 80% of the berry mass, seeds may be ground for livestock food or as a component of organic soil for plants. Planted seeds are used for new palm tree stock which, under the right growing conditions, requires only months to form seedlings, although açaí palm has not been successfully cultivated outside of South America (Schauss, 2006c). Seeds are also used to make a variety of jewelry and souvenirs^{[citation needed]}.

In traditional medical practices, fruit and roots have been used for treating gastrointestinal problems and sap as an astringent^{[citation needed]}. The seeds are a source of polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids (see below; Plotkin, 1984; Silva, 2005; Schauss et al., 2006a).

Nutritional content

Several early studies done on the nutritional composition of açaí were summarized by Rogez in a 2000 book in Portuguese entitled “Açaí: Preparo, Composição e Melhoramento de Conservação” (Schauss et al. 2006a). Other previous studies dating back to the 1930s and 40s were not always in agreement on nutritional contents.

A recent study using modern procedures and a standardized freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin powder found nutrient analysis results from 100 g (3.5 ounces) of powder to equal 533.9 calories, 52.2 g carbohydrates, 8.1 g protein and 32.5 g total fat. The carbohydrate portion includes 44.2 g of fiber (Schauss et al. 2006a). Having nearly one-third of its mass as dietary fiber, açaí is an exceptional source of this valuable macronutrient: a 100 g serving of the powder would provide all the recommended fiber needs for adults (20-30 g per day).

Açaí is particularly rich in fatty acids, feeling oily to the touch. It contains high levels of the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid (56.2% of total fats). It is also rich in palmitic acid (24.1% of total fats, a saturated fat) and the polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid (12.5% of total fats). (Schauss et al. 2006a). β-sitosterol (beta-sitosterol), a phytosterol that competes with dietary cholesterol for absorption and so may reduce blood cholesterol levels, is also unusually rich (78-91% of total sterols) (Lubrano, 1994; Schauss 2006a).

A later study found vitamin C content was negligible, calcium levels of 260 mg, iron to be 4.4 mg and vitamin A equal to 1002 IU per 100 g of dry weight (Schauss et al. 2006a). A recent study found 19 amino acids in pulp and skin powder, with especially high contents of aspartic acid and glutamic acid. The amino acid content totalled 7.59% of the total dry weight (Schauss et al. 2006a).

Due to the large amount of waste that accumulates during the harvesting of the hearts of palm, sawdust from the left-over trunks of the açaí palms have been analyzed for possible uses including energy utilization. The inner layer of the trunk is mineral rich, and is significantly higher in all the minerals that were tested including sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron compared to the outer layer of the tree. This inner layer could potentially be used as a source for these minerals. Ash content (often used as an alkaline source for saponification or in plant fertilizers) was also higher in the inner section of the tree. Levels of lignins, cellulose, holocellulose and gross heat production were slightly higher in the outer trunk layers, and cellulose levels were fairly high overall (Dyer, 1996).

Antioxidant phytochemicals

The dense pigmentation of açaí has led to several experimental studies of its anthocyanins, a group of polyphenols that give the deep color to berries, other fruits and vegetables and are high in antioxidant value under active research for potential health benefits[1]. A recent study using a standardized freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin powder found the total anthocyanin levels to be 319 mg per 100 grams (Schauss et al., 2006a). Cyandin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside are major açaí anthocyanins [2].

Twelve other flavonoid-like compounds were additionally found in the Schauss et al. 2006a study, including homoorientin, orientin, taxifolin deoxyhexose, isovitexin and scoparin, as well as several unknown flavonoids. Proanthocyanidins, another group of polyphenolic compounds high in antioxidant value, totalled 1,289 mg per 100 grams of the freeze-dried pulp/skin powder, with a profile similar to that of blueberries (Schauss et al., 2006a). Resveratrol was additionally found to be present in acai in this study, although at low levels of 1.1 microgram per gram.

A number of studies have measured the antioxidant strength of açaí. Unfortunately, the sources of açaí and preparations (e.g., whole fruit, juice, extract or soluble powder) for reporting the results vary. A recent report using a standardized oxygen radical absorbance capacity or ORAC analysis on a freeze-dried açaí powder found that this powder showed a high antioxidant effect against peroxyl radical (1027 micromol TE/g). This is approximately 10% more than lowbush blueberry or cranberry on a dry weight basis (Wu, 2004). The ORAC value for this freeze-dried powder was significantly higher than when other methods of drying the fruit were tested (Schauss, 2006c). Other powders with ORAC values this high include cinnamon (2675 micromol TE/g), cloves (3144 micromol TE/g), turmeric (2001 micromol TE/g) and dried oregano (1593 micromol TE/g) (Wu, 2004).

The freeze-dried powder also showed very high activity against superoxide, with a SOD assay level of 1614 units/g. Superoxide is thought to be the initial producer of other more potent reactive oxygen species, and thus protection against it is very important as a first line of defense for the body. Antioxidant activity against both peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals was also observed, although effects were milder than that seen against peroxyl radical and superoxide. Additionally, antioxidant molecules from the freeze-dried powder were shown to actually enter freshly obtained human neutrophils and inhibit oxidation induced by hydrogen peroxide, even at very low concentrations of the açaí powder including 0.1 part per trillion (Schauss et al., 2006b). A previous report using a total oxygen scavenging capacity assay also found that açaí has extremely high antioxidant effects against peroxyl radical, as well as a high capacity against peroxynitrite, and a moderate capacity against hydroxyl radical when compared with other fruit and vegetable juices[3] .

Only 10% of açaí’s high antioxidant effects could be explained by its anthocyanin content[4], indicating that other polyphenols contribute most of the antioxidant activity. Schauss et al. similarly found that that ratio of the hydrophilic ORAC levels to the total phenolics in the freeze-dried fruit was 50, a higher value than the typical fruit and vegetable ratio of 10^{[citation needed]}.

Schauss et al. (2006b) also utilized the “Total Antioxidant” or TAO assay to differentiate the “fast-acting” (measured at 30 seconds) and “slow-acting” (measured at 30 minutes) antioxidant levels present in freeze-dried powder. Acai was found to have a higher “slow-acting” antioxidant components, suggesting a more sustained antioxidant effect compared to “fast-acting” components.

Antioxidant values of the seeds of the açaí fruit have also been reported (Rodrigues, 2006). Similarly to the berries, the antioxidant capacity of the seeds were strongest against peroxyl radicals, at a concentration in the same order of magnitude as the berries. The seeds had a stronger antioxidant effect than the berries for peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals, although still less than its effects against peroxy radical. The results of this study were not linear based on the concentration of the seeds that were used. The authors suggest the future use of the seeds (a by-product of juice making) for antioxidant benefits such as prolonging shelf-life of foods.

Other Research

Açaí, in the form of a specific freeze-dried fruit pulp, was shown to have mild inhibitory effects on cyclooxygenase enzymes COX-1 and COX-2 (Schauss et al., 2006b), both of which have roles in acute and chronic inflammation.

Lower concentrations of the freeze-dried pulp were found to be slightly stimulating to macrophages in vitro. Macrophages are white blood cells that are an important part of the immune system of the body. Also in macrophages, freeze-dried açaí pulp was found to inhibit the production of nitric oxide that had been induced by the potent inflammatory inducer lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is part of the cell membrane of certain bacteria (Schauss et al. 2006b). This effect increased as the concentration of the açaí increased.

In 2006, a study performed at the University of Florida showed that açaí fractions containing polyphenolics could reduce proliferation of HL-60 leukemia cells in vitro. This was most likely due to increased rapid cell death (apoptosis) as fractions were also found to activate caspase-3 (an enzyme important in apoptosis) which was inversely correlated to cell death. (Pozo-Insfran et al., 2006).

Due to its deep pigmentation, orally-administered açaí has been tested as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging of the gastrointestinal system (Cordova-Fraga et al., 2004). Its anthocyanins have been characterized for stability as a natural food coloring agent (Del Pozo-Insfran et al., 2004).

source » wikipedia.org

Soy » the use of this grain is interesting in the current conjuncture on account of the great offer, but have only 20% of percentage of oil.

Sunflower » the percentage of oil vary between from 42% to 45% and it’s a good alternative because its has a very fast cycle (between 90 to 140 days) and can be cultivate as little/fast crop.

Castor oil » native from Africa, it’s rustic and has a cycle from 100 to 300 days, longer than sunflower, but its percentage of oil is grater: from 45% to 60%. This oil is very viscous, what makes very difficult to transform in biodiesel.

Cotton » its harvest isn’t turned exclusively to the biodiesel

Dende » it is one of the biggest ROI between the other raw material

Pinhao-manso » its percentage of oil vary between from 30% to 40%