MST produces 70% alcohol to supply hospitals, using an artisanal and sustainable recipe.

From Brasil de Fato - Farmers from the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) produced 70% alcohol for the public health network in Curitibanos, in the state of Santa Catarina. The pilot production of the initiative took place last Tuesday (24), in response to the shortage of the product in the municipality.

According to information released by the State Health Department this Thursday (26), 149 people from Santa Catarina tested positive for covid-19.

Amid this worrying scenario, the use of 70% alcohol has been widely recommended for personal hygiene and cleaning of public spaces as a way to contain the transmission of the new coronavirus.

However, at the beginning of the week, the municipality of Curitibanos only had 46% alcohol on its shelves. 

It was then that chemist Cristian Soldi, a professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), had the idea of ​​transforming the available products into 70% alcohol through distillation, since the sanitizing capacity is greater with this concentration.

Knowing that the farmers of the 1st of May Settlement possessed a distillery for the production of artisanal cachaça, with the appropriate machinery for producing a more concentrated alcohol, the professor extended an invitation to the settlers, who readily agreed.

Soldi explains that the distillation technique consists of a process for separating liquid substances with different boiling points. 

“The idea is to separate the water from the alcohol. We remove the water that is in the 46% solution and increase the concentration of ethyl alcohol. And for that we use a still, and they [the settlers] have a continuous flow still,” says the chemist.

Settler Lulis Girotto is proud of the result of the first production run: In one hour, 76 liters of 46% alcohol produced 30 liters of 70% liquid alcohol, intended for sanitizing surfaces and hospital environments.

“We feel very happy to be contributing during this difficult time that people are going through. And those responsible for these institutions are working hard to meet the demands. It's a very special moment for us,” says the producer, who volunteered his machinery and labor. The 46% alcohol units were provided by the city hall.

The Girotto family is proud of its first production of 70% alcohol during the Covid-19 pandemic / Photo: Personal Archive

Girotto points out that Brazil is among the countries with the highest alcohol production in the world, from sugarcane plantations, and that it makes no sense for some cities to be without these products during the pandemic.

“If we had a government concerned about this problem, it would make a request and the industry, producing alcohol for half a day, would supply Brazil. We, with a mini distillery, managed to solve the problem for a few days for health centers in a municipality with more than 50 inhabitants,” he points out.

perspectives

So far, only the 30 liters of the test batch have been delivered to the city hall. But Girotto assures that, if it depends on him and his family, there will be no shortage of 70% alcohol in Curitibanos.

Farmers at the 1º de Maio Settlement, which has 30 production units, also rely on the assistance of technicians from the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (Epagri) for the production of artisanal cachaça and, now, for any necessary adaptations for the production of 70% alcohol.

"We are going to make a more substantial shipment to at least guarantee supplies for our health units," Girotto plans.

Chemist Cristian Soli states that, after the first batch of products, a company has already expressed interest in a new partnership with the settlement, which is being finalized with the city government. 

“It’s a very good piece of equipment. We can work all the time, without stopping. We just need to feed the equipment with 46% alcohol. In our calculations, it’s possible to produce around 200 liters of 70% alcohol per day, if we have the 46% available,” says the professor.

He highlights the importance of partnerships between public institutions such as UFSC, Epagri, and the city government in combating the pandemic.

“There is a great diversity of knowledge, so we can unite and work together, in different areas, to control this situation. Health centers need this material because doctors and nurses are in direct contact with patients. In this emergency situation, it is important for public institutions to unite with those who have experience in production, in the case of alcohol, the rural producers. They are the most important part of the process,” he emphasizes.

The professor comments that, should the initiative grow, it is fair to compensate the labor of the settlers who participate in the project and are dedicating their time to supporting public health. 

For farmer Lulis Girotto, the partnership highlights the importance of public universities and Brazilian research during times of crisis.

“If we didn’t have this university unit here [in Curitibanos], we wouldn’t be producing this alcohol and we would be perishing from a lack of the product. And this is a result of the university’s work. And ours, from the agrarian reform, that we conquered the land and fought for so much,” he concludes.