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Changes in biotic parameters, primarily in those associated with land use, are a fundamental issue for assessing the greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of bioenergy production. From 2002 to 2017, the transition from manual to mechanized sugarcane harvesting in Brazil resulted in 10–20 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ of biomass, increasing incomes by 150% via bioelectricity. This study is a life cycle assessment (LCA) of using straw along with bagasse for bioethanol production. The assessment focused on the global warming potential (GWP), characterizing the biotic and fossil carbon flows for a functional unit of 1 MJ of 96% hydrated bioethanol production as modeled in GaBi. The model is based on the primary data for a specific cradle-to-gate Petrobras agro-industrial unit. The biotic flow includes the CO₂ uptake and the agricultural and industrial emissions. The parametric equations depict the influence of leaving straw in the …