Brazil

Last edited: 19 September 2023

Brazilian garbage scavengers make solar cookers from scavenged materials using plans that they found here.

Events[]

Featured international events[]

Online events[]

NEW: Thursday, July 17, 2025 (9:00am-10:30am PT, 4:00pm-5:30pm CUT) Join Solar Cookers International (SCI) at the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. SCI and guest speakers from around the world will demonstrate solar cooking’s role in reducing air pollution, advancing gender equality, and fostering global partnerships for sustainable development. Zoom registration information...

See also: Global Calendar of Events and past events in Brazil

News[]

March 2020: Prof. Elmo Dutra Filho – Teaching Solar Cooking to Poor People in Brazil - SunPod

August 2019: Elmo Dutra, from Fogão Solar, represented solar cooking at the seminar on sustainable urban management in the legislative assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil on August 8th.

June 2017: New solar cooks in Morro da Cruz - Long time thermal solar advocate, Professor Elmo Dutra, conducted a solar cooking workshop in Morro da Cruz on the basics of how to construct and use solar panel cookers. The simple cookers were able to reach 180 °C (356 °F). Happy with the results, the new solar cooks are enthusiasti:
Professor Elmo Dutra explains the basics of solar cooking. Photo credit: Elmo Dutra
Morro da Cruz particpants proudly display their recently constructed solar panel cookers. Photo credit: Elmo Dutra.

May 2017: Contribute your data: Drive solar cooking results - Solar cooking contributes to long-term progress from cleaner, more efficient, sustainable cooking solutions worldwide. It is crucial to convey the positive health, economic, and environmental impacts of solar cooking to government agencies and other stakeholders. To help build this case, SCI is reaching out to all solar cooking partners. SCI invites your input in the form of data on baseline information, number and type of solar cookers, number of years of the project, location, outcomes, etc. With your help, we can work to include solar-thermal cooking in national energy and sustainability plans. You provide
- Number of solar cookers
- Type
- Location
- Time period
- Distributed
- Sold
- Manufactured

Submit your solar cooking data by filling out a simple form on the Solar Cookers International website or email info@solarcookers.org.

See older news...

History[]

Main article: History of solar cooking

Archived articles

Climate and culture[]

Brazil August insolation — Solar insolation in August

Solar Cookers International has rated Brazil as the #7 country in the world in terms of solar cooking potential (See: The 25 countries with the most solar cooking potential). The estimated number of people in Brazil with fuel scarcity but ample sun in 2020 is 8,400,000.

In Brazil, huge areas are being transformed into deserts, particularly in Rio Grande do Sul and in the Northeast. By percentages, the state most affected by the desertification is Rio Grande do Norte, with 80.5% of its territory virtually transformed into desert, followed by Pernambuco with 75.2%, Paraiba with 70.3%, Ceara with 59.7%, and Sergipe with 31.3%.

Brazil loses about 300 million dollars annually due to the desertification that takes place principally in the states of the Northeast region and in the north of Minas Gerais. The Brazilian Government’s Annual Report, regarding the major flora of the world, shows that the destruction of the Amazon’s flora continues in a constant rhythm with the growth inspection around the risk areas. The Brazilian Amazon lost 16,926 km2 from the forests between 1998 and 1999.

But the actions up until that time put into effect by the Department of the Environment contributed to a strong reduction in the areas of the Amazon forest that were cleared, and already saw a fall of 90% in 2009.

The reduction of these extensive green areas is responsible for the reduction of rainfall levels, for the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which ultimately causes the greenhouse effect, even turning soil vulnerable to erosion.

The daily demand of firewood per family would be 3.1 kg (6.8 lbs), which is near 1131.5 kg (2489.3 lbs) annually. This reasoning assumes that the mass use of firewood is for food preparation.

According to the UN "one forth part of the Brazilian territory is threatened by the process of accelerated desertification." The introduction and use of solar cookers represents a priceless contribution to reducing desertification, soil erosion, and assuring the survival of the people, animals, and natural resources.

See also: