Impact
Bonsucro aims to improve the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of sugarcane by promoting the use of a global metric standard, with the aim of continuously improving sugarcane production and downstream processing in order to contribute to a more sustainable future.
The Standard corresponds to the objectives of Bonsucro which is to provide a mechanism for achieving sustainable production from sugarcane (all products) in respect of economic, social and environmental dimensions.
The Bonsucro Standard incorporates a set of Principles, Criteria, Indicators and Verifiers which will be used to certify sugar producers who comply and to guide companies in the sugar and ethanol value chain who wish to procure sustainable feedstock/ supplies, and also the financial sector who wish to make more sustainable investments.
The Standard is based on a set of metric measurements which allows for aggregation, and a clearer demonstration of impact. The unit of certification will be the sugar mill and audits will be based on assessments of the mill and cane supply area. Accredited auditors will be required to conduct evaluations.
Bonsucro Vision
To be a leader in driving the market demand for certified sugarcane produced against sustainable standards.
Bonsucro Mission
Bonsucro aims to improve the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of sugarcane by promoting the use of a global metric standard, with the aim of continuously improving sugarcane production and downstream processing in order to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Bonsucro Fact Sheet 1
Sugarcane is a particularly efficient crop in terms of its photosynthetic capacity to produce biomass. It contains a fibrous structure which provides a renewable fuel resource, and processing of the cane does not involve the use of any toxic or hazardous products or waste streams. Sugarcane produces more biomass dry matter per hectare than any other crop species. Sugarcane, has a strong positive influence on the environment and has a great future in providing food and/or energy in a sustainable way.
Bonsucro Vision
To be a leader in driving the market demand for certified sugarcane produced against sustainable standards.
Bonsucro aims to improve the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of sugarcane by promoting the use of a global metric standard, with the aim of continuously improving sugarcane production and downstream processing in order to contribute to a more sustainable future.
History of Bonsucro
- June 2005 – First “better sugar: better business” meeting agrees key impacts at a conference in London
- 2007 - Steering Group advanced the initiative with appointment of a secretariat and Technical Working Group’s.
- 2008 development of measurable indicators and criteria
- Technical working groups (TWGs) were created to identify indicators for which we can measure reduced impacts.
- TWGs draft performance standards that reduce key impacts to acceptable levels.
- TWG’s suggest research on impacts where there is disagreement or too little data.
- Identify BMPs that are put in guidance documents to help producers to reach performance levels.
- 2008 AGM in Brazil Version 1 of the Production Standard reviewed by members
- Bonsucro becomes an Associate Member of ISEAL and as such followed the Code of Best Practice for the development of the Standard
- Bonsucro – Incorporated as a not-for-profit company in the UK
- 2009 – Stakeholder Outreach Meetings and pilot audits conducted in: Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Brussels, Switzerland, Ethiopia, South Africa, India and Swaziland.
- 2009 AGM India – Production Standard version 2 approved
- 2010 – development of the Mass Balance Chain of Custody Standard and Certification Protocol
- Launched the brand Bonsucro
- March 2011 Bonsucro Certification System and Standards submitted for recognition of EU Renewable Energy Directive
- Training of auditors commenced in February 2011
- Certification commences June 2011
- Approximately 30 million hectares farmed with sugarcane today
- Global ethanol production in 2020 will be approx. 70 Billion litres, a big increase over 2010 figures of 40 billion litres.
- Land under sugarcane by 2020 taking into account sugar and ethanol production increases, will be 51 million hectares.
Footnote: The ISEAL Alliance is the global association for social and environmental standards. Working with established and emerging voluntary standard systems ISEAL develops guidance and helps strengthen the effectiveness and impact of these standards. ISEAL works with companies, non-profits and governments to support their referencing and use of voluntary standards.
ISEAL members are leaders in their fields, committed to creating solid and credible standard systems that give business, governments and consumers the ability to choose goods and services that have been ethically sourced but most of all help the environment and guarantee producers a decent living.
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Bonsucro Fact Sheet 2
Bonsucro - the first global metric standard for sugarcane
Bonsucro aims to improve the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of sugarcane by promoting the use of a global metric standard, with the aim of continuously improving sugarcane production and downstream processing in order to contribute to a more sustainable future.
What is the Bonsucro Production Standard?
The Bonsucro Production Standard is the world’s first impact-based production standard to certify the production of sugarcane. The Standard focuses on five key areas related to the social and environmental impacts of sugarcane production. These are:
- Legal compliance
- Biodiversity and ecosystem impacts
- Human rights
- Production and processing
- Continuous improvement
Key indicators for each of these categories have been identified for example, the Standard sets a metric limit for water consumption, monitors energy consumption and operates a unique Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator. Although sophisticated in their processes, these indicators are easy to measure and simple to use for comparative purposes.
The same level of rigour and objectivity is applied to the social indicators contained within the Standard.
Why use the Bonsucro Standard?
Only the Bonsucro Standard provides single certification auditing of both sugar and ethanol streams. This allows Mills to freely switch between the two.
The Production Standard was put through a two-year multi-stakeholder global consultation process. Pilot audit test were run in parallel, with the results influencing the final standard. In addition, Bonsucro followed the ISEAL Best Practice Guidance for the development of credible standard systems.
Bonsucro is being considered for recognition as a voluntary standard within the European Union Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED) and Fuel Quality Directive (EU FQD).This will allow companies wishing to produce or trade biofuels for import into the EU to be Bonsucro EU Certified. EU RED is a legal requirement for imports of biofuels into the EU.
Bonsucro certification is relatively inexpensive. As well as protecting biodiversity, ecosystems, social milieu and the atmosphere (GHG), Bonsucro encourages economic sustainability, and helps improve technical and business efficiencies.
In addition, Bonsucro:
- Positions companies using the Standard at the fore front of global sustainability practices.
- Insists on the efficient use of resources including energy, water and raw materials.
- References climate change, GHG emissions, aquatic oxygen demand, eutrophication, acidification, and ecotoxicity to aquatic life.
- Has developed its own GHG Calculator and proposed an explicit and original methodology for GHG emissions calculations – therefore does not rely solely on default values (although these are included for the EU).
- Is a metric Standard, aimed at measuring outcomes, not processes - an accurate tool for gauging continuous improvement.
- Encourages continuous improvement and promotes benchmarking and comparisons with the metric indicators
- Does not require expert agricultural input to assess indicators as required by other Standards.
- Meets all the FAO requirements for socio-economic, governance and environmental sectors.
- Demonstrates through measurable impacts that a company is against child labour, supports human rights and is concerned with implementing environmentally sound practices.
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