Resumo:

When the Portuguese reached the Brazilian coast, probably the only source of energy they found was biomass. The country was named after a tree, the Brazil wood (“pau-brasil”), used to die clothes.Sugarcane was officially introduced by Martim Afonso de Souza in 1532 and planted in São Paulo state coast (São Vicente) and other states in the Northeast region. Sugarcane was probably brought from Madeira Islands or Cabo Verde. Few years later, the production of sugar was successfully initiated by Duarte Coelho Pereira, in Per­nambuco state.About one or two centuries after introduction, sugarcane was mainly cultivated and developed in the Northeast region. Until 1580, the Dutch had direct involvement on sugar business produced in Brazil. They helped to finance the business as they also had an important role in the refining and commercialization of sugar in Europe.