Carbohydrates are nowadays a very competitive feedstock for the chemical industry because their availability is compatible with world-scale chemical production and their price, based on the carbon content, is comparable to that of petrochemicals. At the same time, demand is rising for biobased products. Brazilian sugar cane is a competitive feedstock source that is opening the door to a wide range of bio-based products. This essay begins with the importance of the feedstock for the chemical industry and discusses developments in sugar cane processing that lead to low cost feedstocks. Thus, sugar cane enables a new chemical industry, as it delivers a competitive raw material and a source of energy. As a result, sugar mills are being transformed into sustainable biorefineries that fully exploit the potential of sugar cane. 1. Introduction In a market economy, corporations aim to maximize profit. Governments or society in general impose constraints on and regulate the maximization of profit. Product quality, operational safety, and respect for the environment all have to be fulfilled. To maximize profit, the chemical industry always seeks the most competitive feedstock. When competitive feedstock is available, opportunities for new processes and technologies arise. Technology for converting carbon dioxide into a feedstock source has been developed and used in Brazil since the inception of Pro-álcool, the Brazilian national alcohol program, in the 1970s [1]. Given the legislation, the market demand for sustainable products, and the progress being made in biotechnology and catalysis, developers are working on new processes, which are giving rise to a wide range of biobased products. The old sugar mills (engenhos) have become efficient industrial facilities (usinas) that produce sweeteners, ethanol, and bioenergy. Recent developments involve transforming sugar mills into biorefineries. Besides sweeteners, biofuel, and bioenergy, the biorefineries will be able to produce bioplastics and other chemicals by using the whole cane via alcohol chemistry and fermentative routes. This essay analyzes the industry’s historical response to new developments stemming from the rise of competitive feedstock and the opportunities that it creates. It focuses on sugar cane, its availability as a feedstock source, and the technologies that can turn sugar cane into an important starting point for chemistry of the future. Based on recent examples of processes and market developments, a new arrangement of integrated agroindustry, processing sugar cane and yielding higher value
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