Yesterday the world’s first standard for sustainably sourced sugarcane production launched in
Brazil. The joint initiative between stakeholders within the sugar industry,
WWF,
Coca-Cola, and the multi-stakeholder association
Bonsucro could transform the way sugar is grown, produced, and marketed around the world.
Bonsucro’s sugarcane production
standard includes a matrix that evaluates the environmental and social impacts of sugarcane
production. Other key indicators including greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and energy consumption (as in ethanol) also have a role in determining whether a company’s sugar output is certified. Once certified, Bonsucro’s certification is good for three years and members must permit annual audits of their operations. Watch for more sugar to be grown in Brazil’s
cerrado, which has been threatened due to mass agriculture.
The global demand for sugar for food, fuel, and feed will not recede anytime soon, and global
water scarcity only complicates the issue. With droughts slamming cane-producing areas hard, the Bonsucro Production Standard is one that other food and commodity sectors are wise to emulate. Read the full article, my latest on
Triple Pundit.
Pictured (click to expand): a photo of sugar grown in the Burdekin region in Queensland, Australia (courtesy
WWF).
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