Brazil eyes Amazon sugar cane ban

The Brazilian government has announced plans to ban sugar cane plantations in environmentally sensitive areas.



The proposal, which must be passed by Congress, comes amid concerns that Brazil\'s developing biofuels industry is increasing Amazon deforestation.



Environment Minister Carlos Minc says the measures would mean that ethanol made from sugar cane would be 100 percent green.



The plans unveiled by Mr. Minc will limit sugar cane plantations to 7 .5 percent of Brazilian territory or 64 million hectares, and prevent the clearing of new land for the crop.



The proposed legislation, expected to be put to Congress next year, will also prohibit the building of ethanol distillation plants in food-growing areas or in the vast wetlands of the Pantanal, on Brazil\'s border with Bolivia.



Brazil, the world\'s top producer of sugar, has long championed ethanol as an environmentally friendly source of energy, but concerns have grown over its potential hazards.