98
R. de Castro Sobrosa Neto et al.
Keywords WEF nexus · Biodigester · Manure · Swine · Social innovation ·
Environmental impact · Treatment strategies · Bioresource
1 Introduction
The water, energy and food nexus emerged at the Bonn Conference in 2011 [38],
therefore after the Alto Uruguai Project, which started in 2008. However, Eletrosul
has since been working on a project that aims, from the treatment of swine manure
(food), to generate electricity. By using this waste, instead of simply releasing it in
natura directly in the Uruguay River Basin, the environmental impact is minimized,
demonstrating social responsibility and leadership in alignment with the best global
sustainability practices. Al-Saidi and Elagib [4] in their work to understand the
integrative approach of WEF nexus pointed out that it is currently quite popular in
environmental management, and that the concept has found fertile ground in science
and policymaking. However, the authors also mentioned that there is no consistent
view regarding the meaning of integration in the nexus, and that, while it has been
quite successful in changing policy debates, the nexus lacks prioritization of issues
and appears to be left to specific case studies and policymakers’ choices. Finally,
they highlighted that governance is the missing link in the debate on the topic. In this
sense, a federal state company in the energy sector signing a cooperation agreement
with a pig farmers’ association, therefore implementing a business model that can
be identified with the recommendations of the nexus, as well as with the elaboration
of a business model to producers, demonstrates that Eletrosul contemplated through
its research the formulation of governance-oriented policies.
The state of Santa Catarina is the penultimate southernmost state in Brazil, and
its western region stands out for the production of poultry and pigs. According to
Santa Catarina State Government, agriculture accounted for 6.1% of the gross value
added of the state in 2017 and has had a growth of 9.5% [33]. In the far west of
Santa Catarina is located the Itapiranga County, on the banks of the Uruguay River,
bordering Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and Argentina. In the Tupi–Guarani indigenous
language, Itapiranga means “red stone,” which is a consequence of the basaltic soil
that prevails in this region, and since the native peoples of Itapiranga were mostly
Tupi–Guarani and Caboclo Indians, having had little contact with the colonizers,
which in this case are mostly German [57].
Itapiranga stands out economically for its pig farming, and as a result of this
production it was found that animal waste was polluting the Uruguay River Basin [22,
23]. So, the breeders, together with county administrators and local leaders, requested
Eletrosul’s support. Thereby, through research and development (R&D) initiatives, a
solution could be sought for this situation, and thus, in 2008, the Alto Uruguai Project
was implemented. It entailed 10 Canadian-type biodigesters (covered lagoon), which
were installed with the forethought of building a miniature thermoelectric power plant
(MCT). This would be supplied by the production units in order to convert biogas
R. de Castro Sobrosa Neto et al.
Keywords WEF nexus · Biodigester · Manure · Swine · Social innovation ·
Environmental impact · Treatment strategies · Bioresource
1 Introduction
The water, energy and food nexus emerged at the Bonn Conference in 2011 [38],
therefore after the Alto Uruguai Project, which started in 2008. However, Eletrosul
has since been working on a project that aims, from the treatment of swine manure
(food), to generate electricity. By using this waste, instead of simply releasing it in
natura directly in the Uruguay River Basin, the environmental impact is minimized,
demonstrating social responsibility and leadership in alignment with the best global
sustainability practices. Al-Saidi and Elagib [4] in their work to understand the
integrative approach of WEF nexus pointed out that it is currently quite popular in
environmental management, and that the concept has found fertile ground in science
and policymaking. However, the authors also mentioned that there is no consistent
view regarding the meaning of integration in the nexus, and that, while it has been
quite successful in changing policy debates, the nexus lacks prioritization of issues
and appears to be left to specific case studies and policymakers’ choices. Finally,
they highlighted that governance is the missing link in the debate on the topic. In this
sense, a federal state company in the energy sector signing a cooperation agreement
with a pig farmers’ association, therefore implementing a business model that can
be identified with the recommendations of the nexus, as well as with the elaboration
of a business model to producers, demonstrates that Eletrosul contemplated through
its research the formulation of governance-oriented policies.
The state of Santa Catarina is the penultimate southernmost state in Brazil, and
its western region stands out for the production of poultry and pigs. According to
Santa Catarina State Government, agriculture accounted for 6.1% of the gross value
added of the state in 2017 and has had a growth of 9.5% [33]. In the far west of
Santa Catarina is located the Itapiranga County, on the banks of the Uruguay River,
bordering Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and Argentina. In the Tupi–Guarani indigenous
language, Itapiranga means “red stone,” which is a consequence of the basaltic soil
that prevails in this region, and since the native peoples of Itapiranga were mostly
Tupi–Guarani and Caboclo Indians, having had little contact with the colonizers,
which in this case are mostly German [57].
Itapiranga stands out economically for its pig farming, and as a result of this
production it was found that animal waste was polluting the Uruguay River Basin [22,
23]. So, the breeders, together with county administrators and local leaders, requested
Eletrosul’s support. Thereby, through research and development (R&D) initiatives, a
solution could be sought for this situation, and thus, in 2008, the Alto Uruguai Project
was implemented. It entailed 10 Canadian-type biodigesters (covered lagoon), which
were installed with the forethought of building a miniature thermoelectric power plant
(MCT). This would be supplied by the production units in order to convert biogas