O etanol e suas redes

This article is an attempt to understand the socio-technical and rhizomatic network of ethanol, which is seen, here, as a hybrid of nature and culture, made of scientific, technical and political decisions. In this way, it engenders other hybrids, mediating the relations of interests between social actors who participate in its network. We analyzed the expansion of its production through the principle of symmetry, considering the overlap between the social, political, economic and environmental instances manifest in this process. We seek to observe the different discourses on ethanol through academic papers, the media generally, and through discussions conducted by researchers who focus on the implications of production and consumption of this agrofuel. It was found that ethanol adds several relashionships of interests that may be conflicting or converging between institutions and social actors.