International Herald Tribune: At the start of the cane harvest this year at the São Francisco ethanol mill, workers gathered to ask God for protection and a good crop. It was a traditional Roman Catholic Mass, celebrated inside the mill’s main building, infused with the sweet smell of sugar cane. Around 150 employees and their relatives surrounded an imposing altar. The offerings included a bottle filled with ethanol, a wooden toy truck and a cane cutter’s machete. “It’s a long tradition. Our …