Beyond waste valorization: Environmental justice in Brazil's Sertanejo Biodigester Program - Evidence from two municipalities and multi-level stakeholders

Circular bioenergy systems can improve waste management, energy access, and rural livelihoods, but their justice implications remain insufficiently examined. This study assesses the Sertanejo Biodigester Program as a circular rural-energy intervention, focusing on distributive, procedural, and recognitional justice and on the Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) principles of directionality, inclusivity, and reflexivity. We use a qualitative case-study design that combines documentary analysis, 20 semi-structured stakeholder interviews, and five days of field observation in Mirandiba and Verdejante, Pernambuco. The evidence indicates perceived reductions in purchases of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and firewood, sanitation benefits, and productive use of digestate; these are reported or observed co-benefits rather than quantitatively estimated impacts. Participation is concentrated in installation and training, with limited evidence of upstream influence over technology design, beneficiary selection, or long-term governance. Evidence concerning women's participation suggests gendered exclusion from some decision-making spaces, while evidence on Indigenous and Quilombola inclusion is too limited for population-wide conclusions. The study contributes an operational qualitative framework that links Environmental Justice (EJ) dimensions to TIP governance criteria and shows that transformative potential depends on transparent allocation, participatory governance, recognition of local knowledge, and sustained post-installation support. Because field observations are confined to two municipalities, program-wide claims are made only where supported by broader documentary and institutional evidence.