The retraining programme, RenovAção, will re-educate 7,000 manual labourers and their relatives each year as plantations become mechanised. Mechanisation will put an end to the burning of cane, which is done before the harvest to prevent workers from being injured by the plant's sharp leaves.
Sector tries to improve public image
The Brazilian sugar-cane industry association, Unica, has launched two campaigns to improve the image of the country's ethanol industry.
5 June 2009 13:53 GMT
Updated
8 January 2013 10:36 GMT
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