3. Sugarcane

South America has the largest production of sugarcane, a crop of great commercial importance, in the world (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Faostat, 2014b). The crop has sparked interest due to its potential benefits across environmental, energy, and economic fields (Sugarcane in Sugarcane benefits, 2014); however, expansion of the crop should be carefully evaluated and controlled in light of past human rights violations surrounding its production practices (International Labor Organization in Sugarcane labor in Bolivia, 2014). Applications of sugarcane in the medical field involve potential use as immobilization cell carriers (Silva et al. in Appl Biochem Biotechnol 141(2–3):215–227, 2007) and as a source of biopolymers for middle ear surgeries grafting (Mayer et al. in Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 77(1):44–50, 2011).