Banca de DEFESA: CLEO DE BRITO LIMA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : CLEO DE BRITO LIMA
DATE: 24/10/2025
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Google Meet, formato híbrido
TITLE:

CARNAUBA WAX AND THE CAATINGA BIOECONOMY: OVERVIEW AND POTENTIAL OF THE VALUE CHAIN

 

KEY WORDS:

regional development; bioeconomy; caatinga; sustainability; carnauba wax; Northeast.

PAGES: 86
BIG AREA: Ciências Sociais Aplicadas
AREA: Economia
SUMMARY:

The environmental issue has emerged as a significant topic of discussion that must be considered in the context of economic development analyses since the second half of the 20th century. From the 21st century onward, all discussions on development and economic growth can no longer disregard climate change as a determining variable in the formulation of public policies. This dissertation aims to investigate the economic and social context of Brazil’s Northeast and to analyze whether carnauba wax—a native input from the region, considered potentially sustainable according to recent studies in the field of bioeconomy — is in fact fulfilling this role. The analysis is limited to the state of Rio Grande do Norte and covers the period between 1997 and 2023. Studies on regional development show that much of the socioeconomic reality of the Northeast — particularly the semi-arid zone — is the result of a historical, political, and social formation compounded by chronic planning deficits and institutional neglect in valuing local potentialities in public policy formulation. Therefore, this study seeks to understand whether these structural deficiencies specifically affect the carnauba wax sector. As for the concept of bioeconomy, although its definition remains fluid, three major schools of thought currently address economic and environmental issues: biotechnology, bio-resources, and bioecology. Each has its own characteristics and scientific foundations. A literature review and descriptive analysis of the carnauba wax value chain — based on secondary data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) — indicate an unexplored potential in the sector. Investments in this area could serve as an effective tool to transform the historically unfavorable conditions faced by the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte and its population, both economically and socially, since the application of the bioeconomy in the Caatinga biome presents itself as an environmentally sustainable and economically viable alternative for local and regional development.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 3060386 - JULIANA BACELAR DE ARAUJO
Interna - 1149543 - VALDENIA APOLINARIO
Externo à Instituição - HARLEY SILVA - UFPA
Externo à Instituição - RAUL DA SILVA VENTURA NETO - UFPA