Brazil to be world's leading biodiesel producer: president
Brazil could produce biodiesel more cheaply than other countries and become the world's leading biodiesel producer, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday.

"In the next 10 or 15 years, we will be proud to see Brazil be the country with an edge in biodiesel production," Lula said.

He added that there will be some 350,000 people working on biodiesel in the country by the end of this year.

Brazil, already the world's leading producer and exporter of ethanol, derived from its huge sugarcane crop. Ethanol can be blended with gasoline to reduce tailpipe emissions in cars and trucks.

"Few countries can compete with Brazil, because God gave us sun,land and hard-working people," Lula said.

Biodiesel is also a clean burning alternative fuel made from plant material or biomass such as sugarcane and palm oil. It can be used in diesel engines or blended with regular diesel fuel.

Biofuels become increasingly popular in recent years amid concerns over the world's diminishing oil and gas reserves and as countries try to reduce their dependence on imported fossil fuels.