From August 6 to 9, the Brazilian Sugarcane and Bioenergy Industry Association (UNICA) participated in Expo 2025 in Osaka, showcasing the sustainability and scale of Brazil’s sugarcane and bioenergy sector—an industry that provides both the country and the world with food and renewable energy. The exhibition took place at the Brazilian Pavilion and was part of the Sugarcane Ethanol Project, a partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).
Until October 13, 2025, World Expo 2025 will take place on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay spanning 1.55 km². This renowned global event brings together people, cultures, and innovations to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity.
Brazilian Pavilion
In this edition, the Brazilian Pavilion stands out with its striking gold exterior, symbolizing sunlight, energy, and renewal. Inside, visitors are invited on a multisensory journey through five thematic sections spread across a total area of 373 m². Each section immerses the audience in the richness of Brazil’s natural and cultural heritage, encouraging reflection on environmental preservation, diversity, and our shared responsibility for the planet. One of the highlights, the third thematic section, is a 74 m² room dedicated to hosting both private and public events, including exhibitions panels and cocktails by companies, industry leaders, agribusiness organizations, public institutions, and more.
In this section, over the course of four days, visitors had the opportunity to explore Brazil’s thriving sugarcane and bioenergy sector through an immersive exhibition designed to be inclusive and accessible. The showcase offered a visually compelling and interactive experience, demonstrating how Brazil leads in integrating ethanol production with food security. By addressing key global challenges such as sustainable energy and food systems, the exhibition not only celebrated Brazil’s achievements but also sparked important conversations on innovation and sustainability. With a bold visual identity, cutting-edge technology, and multilingual content, the space captivated audiences and encouraged international collaboration, inspiring new partnerships and the exchange of ideas on a global platform.
Brazil is recognized as a global leader in biofuel production and use, drawing on decades of experience to promote best practices that support the global shift toward clean energy. Through its well-established ethanol program and unwavering commitment to sustainability, Brazil used this exhibition to showcase how renewable fuels can play a vital role in enhancing energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
For the Japanese audience—familiar with the country’s longstanding leadership in technology and industrial innovation—the exhibition offered a valuable opportunity to learn more about the benefits of biofuels. This comes at a pivotal moment, as Japan recently announced plans to adopt a 10% biofuel blend in gasoline, marking a significant step forward in its climate policy and commitment to low-carbon solutions.
About Sugarcane Ethanol Project
ApexBrasil and UNICA made public in 2008, through the Brazilian Sugarcane Ethanol partnership, a strategy to promote the image of sugarcane products abroad, especially Brazilian ethanol as a clean and renewable energy. In 2023, the two entities signed an agreement that provides for shared investments.
The sectoral project aims to influence the process of building the image of ethanol and other sugarcane derivatives among the main global opinion makers – governments and the media, as well as trading companies, potential investors and importers, NGOs and consumers.
About ApexBrasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. In order to achieve its goals, ApexBrasil carries out several trade promotion initiatives aimed at promoting Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business rounds, support to the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business platforms that also aim at strengthening the Brazil brand. The Agency also acts in a coordinated way with public and private players to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil with a focus on strategic sectors for the development of the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country.
About UNICA
UNICA is the main representative body for sugar, bioethanol and other bioenergy products from mills located in the Center-South region of Brazil. Currently, it has more than 120 associated companies, which represent 60% of the sugar and ethanol produced in the country. UNICA has its headquarters in São Paulo and Brasília, as well as offices in Europe and United States.
