To address the need for improved scientific communication and for equipping policy makers to use sound science to promote sustainable bio-fuel production, the US-Brazil Environmental and Business Cross Cultural Initiative Consortium will focus on achieving the following objectives:

1. Promote cross-cultural understanding and environmental consciousness among students and faculty through the development and dissemination of information related to the impacts of bio-fuel production;
2. Foster collaborative research to understand the sustainability aspects (economic, social and environmental) and their implications on the well-being of American, Brazilian, and global populations
3. Develop research projects in Brazil and the US, focusing on the social, economic, and environmental costs and benefits of bio-fuel production in both countries
4. Improve language proficiency in Portuguese (US students) and in English (Brazilian students) to facilitate effective participation in bilateral and multilateral discussions about the future of bio-fuel production.