To help achieve sustainable sugar production, BSI was formed in
2005 as a not-for-profit organization involving sugar retailers,
investors, traders, producers and non-governmental organizations.
Members include some major corporations, including Shell, BP, The
Coca-Cola Company and Ferrero, and small family farmers working on
just half a hectare, or an acre, of land.
Four years of research and public and industry consultation have
led to the first-ever world standards for sugar cane production.
BSI standards, developed using the ISEAL code of good practice,
were finalized at the end of 2009, and the first accredited ethanol
is expected to be released in November 2010. This will be the first
of the world's new globally accredited sugar cane products.
The standards embody social, environmental and sustainability
targets in one document and incorporate 49 measureable criteria
capturing the core concerns of buyers and consumers, including
labour, social impacts, climate change, pollution and
high-conservation-value land use.
BSI standards for the production of sugar and sugar cane
products are designed to be accessible to corporations of all sizes
and BSI is committed to helping them gain accreditation.One of the
objectives of BSI is to contain costs and to help growers save
money by using inputs such as energy, fertilizers and water more
efficiently and minimizing losses and wastage. For example,
increasing sugar cane trash retention benefits the environment by
reducing the amount of cane that is burnt. It is also good for soil
ecology and provides a boost to soil nutrients, which reduces the
use of inorganic fertilizers, saving farmers money.
The standards provide advantages to buyers and sellers. For
buyers, BSI-accredited cane growers or ethanol producers ensure
that they are adhering to world best practice. For sellers, it can
provide access to new markets that might in the past have
questioned the environmental credentials of their product.
The standards incorporate not only principles regarding the
minimization of environmental harm, but equally enshrine respect
for human rights and internationally recognized labour standards.
BSI standards are organized around five core principles:
- Obey the law
- Respect human rights and labour standards
- Manage input, production and processing efficiencies
to enhance sustainability
- Manage biodiversity and ecosystem services
actively
- Improve continuously key areas of the business.
The standards provide an auditable set of benchmarks that
accredited growers and processors must meet, with specific criteria
underpinning core principles.
For more information on BSI and BSI standards, see www.bettersugarcane.org.
CASE STUDY
Protection of High-Conservation
Areas: Brazil
One of the strongest criticisms of the sugar cane industry has
come from concerns about the clearance of native vegetation. These
have focused mainly on Brazil, the world's largest producer of
sugar cane, which has been expanding production to meet growing
global biofuel demand.
The expansion of sugar cane into areas of high-conservation and
critical biodiversity values is prevented under BSI principle four,
which protects such areas from being cleared for cane growing after
January 2008. It also mandates that soils with significant
soil-stored carbon, such as peat lands, mangroves, wetlands and
certain grasslands, are protected.
CASE STUDY
Reducing Inputs: India
Indian sugar processing company EID Parry pioneered sugar cane
corporate milling and production in India. The company, which has
about 10,000 sugar cane growers who cultivate between one and three
hectares of sugar cane, was one of the first to join BSI.
BSI provided the company's mills and farmers with access to
information on best practices and guidelines for improving the
status of soil and water resources. Growing sugar cane is
water-intensive and EID Parry developed systems to use water more
efficiently. As a result, its Pudukottai plant was awarded the
2006-2007 'Excellent Water Efficient Unit' and 'Innovative Case
Study' at India's National Awards for Excellence in Water
Management.
The company is also testing new irrigation systems, which will
enable sugar cane growers to exceed BSI standards for using less
than 50 litres of water per kilogram of cane produced.
CASE STUDY
Sugar Mill Exceeds Standard: Colombia
The association representing sugar cane producers in Colombia,
ASOCAÑA, joined BSI in 2010 to help its members meet trade
standards demanded by importers, including the European Union.
A major challenge within developing countries is compliance with
International Labour Organization (ILO) standards, especially in
relation to child labour, and regulations on health and safety in
agriculture. It is a challenge that the Colombian sugar industry
has taken on. Working on piecework rates (US$ 3 per tonne of cane),
a Colombian cane cutter can now earn three to four times the
average national wage. In addition, each cane cutter is supplied
with safety equipment, including shin-guards and boots and gloves
strengthened with steel inserts.
The Providencia mill near Cali not only complies with ILO
standards but has built a school that provides education for 4,000
students. The running costs for the school come from community
families who earn income by making uniforms and protective clothing
for the mill and field workers. It is a multi-layered economic
enterprise providing significant community benefits.