Established in 2008, Bonsucro is a global non-profit, multi-stakeholder governance group promoting sustainable sugar cane,[1][2] including production, processing and trade around the world.
| Formation | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Type | Multi-stakeholder initiative |
| Focus | Sustainable agriculture, Sustainable biofuels, Sugar cane |
| Headquarters | London |
| Website | bonsucro |
Formerly called | Better Sugar Cane Initiative (BSI) |
Bonsucro has a strong local presence in the countries that produce, use and consume the most sugarcane and its products. Offices can be found in the United Kingdom (London) and Brazil (Ribeirão Preto), with staff also based in India and Mexico.
Both Bonsucro and the standards set by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials have been noted as in practise expanding the EU RED guidelines to include other factors, such as land tenure issues as prescribed by national law.[3]
A 2024 article by The New York Times reported that Bonsucro's audit process certifies companies which support in labor practices including debt bondage, forced hysterectomy, and brutal working conditions.[4] The article claimed that Bonsucro's overall effect and business model is to justify unfair labor practices and human rights violations so that larger multinational companies have less pressure to take responsibility to ensure that their product sourcing is ethical.[4] Bonsucro’s CEO, Danielle Morley, was aware that forced hysterectomies were a problem in parts of India.[5]
Statistics
editSince 2011, Bonsucro has certified over 800 millions tonnes of sugarcane, and over 55 million tonnes of sugar.
In 2021, the number of certified mills rose to 145.[6] Certified mills were found to have reduced their water use by 53 % after five years of certification.[6] 71 % of certified mills produced enough energy to export to the national grid.[6]
Through ongoing certification, producers demonstrate the ability to reduce their nitrogen fertiliser use per hectare, from an average of 81 kg N/ha at initial certification to an average of 67 kg N/ha after five years. In 2020, certified producers used an average of 3.5kg active ingredient/ha for both pesticides and herbicides - well within the standard threshold of using less than 5 kg active ingredient per hectare.
Through Bonsucro membership and certification, over 32,000 seasonal workers in sugarcane production and processing now have proper contracts and are paid at least the national minimum wage.[6] 182,800 workers are covered by health and safety plans and have access to first aid.[6]
Bonsucro Membership
editBonsucro has over 300 members from 55 countries.
Other Mentions
editEU market access has been labeled as important by Colombian policy-makers, and described as driving the country's national policy aiming for 40% Bonsucro sugarcane.[7] However, this use of certification in the context of biofuels has caused concern regarding the consequences of intensification in Colombia, although as of November 2014 no mills had yet achieved certification in the country.[8] The first Bonsucro certified ethanol fuel, from Brazil, was first imported into Europe through the Port of Rotterdam in 2012.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ R.A. Diaz-Chavez; A. Lerrner (3 July 2013). "Certification and Standards for Sugar Cane and Bioenergy". In Francis X. Johnson (ed.). Bioenergy for Sustainable Development and International Competitiveness: The Role of Sugar Cane in Africa. Vikram Seebaluck. Routledge. p. 287. ISBN 978-1-136-52955-9.
- ^ Smedley, Tim (15 September 2014). "Sustainable sugar: Coca-Cola and BP signed up but will it go mainstream?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
- ^ Fortin, Elizabeth; Richardson, Ben (2013). "Certification Schemes and the Governance of Land: Enforcing Standards or Enabling Scrutiny?" (PDF). Globalizations. 10 (1): 141–159. doi:10.1080/14747731.2013.760910. ISSN 1474-7731. S2CID 153621736.
- ^ a b Rajagopalan, Megha (30 July 2024). "How a Sugar Industry Stamp of Approval Hid Coerced Hysterectomies". The New York Times.
- ^ Rajagopalan, Megha (2024-08-22). "Sugar Industry Faces Pressure Over Coerced Hysterectomies and Labor Abuses". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ a b c d e "- Impact 2021". Bonsucro. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Institute of Medicine (2 April 2014). The Nexus of Biofuels, Climate Change, and Human Health:: Workshop Summary. National Academies Press. pp. 119–. ISBN 978-0-309-29244-3.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Selfa, Theresa; Bain, Carmen; Moreno, Renata (2014). "Depoliticizing land and water "grabs" in Colombia: the limits of Bonsucro certification for enhancing sustainable biofuel practices". Agriculture and Human Values. 31 (3): 455–468. doi:10.1007/s10460-014-9509-3. ISSN 0889-048X. S2CID 254225308.
- ^ "In the future all sugarcane ethanol will be Bonsucro certified". Solidaridadnetwork.org. Solidaridad. 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
- ^ "Port of Rotterdam Authority - Argos Energies buys first Bonsucro certified ethanol for the European consumer market". Port of Rotterdam. 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-25.