Bonsucro Conference 2012: Rapidly growing number of participants

More and more stakeholders in the sugarcane sector are getting involved in Bonsucro. Around 150 delegates from over more than 20 countries attended the 2012 annual meeting in London. Only a few years ago the first meeting started with a few companies and around twenty people discussing the sustainability in the sector.

Bonsucro is the organisation that sets the worldwide standard for sustainable sugarcane. The Bonsucro certification guarantees the conservation of biodiversity, the ecosystem and respect for social circumstances and human rights.

Several companies presented result of working together with NGO’s like Solidaridad and with local authorities at the Bonsucro annual meeting in November 2012. The world’s leading sugar and ethanol buyers, producers, farmers debated in London on the theme “Who is responsible for sustainable sugarcane?”

Farmer Support and Loyalty Tool

The Brazilian ethanol producer and largest crusher in the world, Raízen, presented a new specially designed software program that helps farmers improve their business. This ‘Farmer Support and Loyalty Tool’ generates an individual recommendation report for improving practices for those points where farmers are performing below standard.

First Bonsucro ethanol

Argos energies published results of a project together with Solidaridad in Brazil. The oil company invested in retraining of workers in the sugarcane industry. As a result from this the first Bonsucro certified sugarcane product entered the port of Rotterdam. It was the first shipment of a certified ethanol from sugarcane in Europe that ended up with the consumer.

Sven Sielhorst, international program manager Sugarcane at Solidaridad thinks the market for sustainable sugarcane is, after years of investment, is finally growing: “I am pleased to see that more and more companies recognize the importance of working together within Bonsucro. This meeting was visited by many businesses, involved, or getting involved in sustainable sugarcane. I think and hope that in the coming years we can, together with businesses, make real steps towards a sustainable production of sugarcane.’    

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