The environmental impacts caused by the intense use of fossil fuels, has driven the
accomplishment of several studies in the last decades turned to energy cultures. Currently the
largest world producer of ethanol is the United States and the major raw material used for this
purpose is corn (Zea mays). Brazil presents itself as the second largest producer, using mainly
the culture of sugarcane. However, the sweet potato crop has attracted a lot of attention from
the energy sector, due to the high starch content present in its composition. In the State of
Tocantins there are works carried out regarding the genetic improvement of sweet potatoes
aiming at the production of ethanol, indicating its enormous potential to be used in the biofuel
production chain. Ethanol produced by agro-energetic crops may replace fossil fuel in the
future, as there are many crops with the potential to be used for this purpose. However, further
consolidation through research is still needed to insert these into the ethanol production chain.
Thus, this bibliographic review addresses the main crops used to produce this biofuel, as well
as potential crops such as sweet potatoes.
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