The Bonsucro Certification System
How to become a Bonsucro approved Certification Body?
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What are the requirements for becoming a Bonsucro approved Certification Body? |
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How do I become a Bonsucroapproved Certification Body? |
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Is Bonsucro giving auditor training? |
How to become Bonsucro certified?
Trading Bonsucro certified sustainable sugar cane products
Communication, claims, labelling
The Bonsucro Certification System
1. What does the Bonsucro Certification System consist of?
The Bonsucro Certification System consists of 3 main elements:
1. Standards: Bonsucro has developed 2 standards:
· The “Bonsucro Production Standard” contains principles and criteria for achieving sustainable
production from sugar cane and all sugar cane derived products in respect of economic, social and
environmental dimensions.
· The “Bonsucro Chain of Custody Standard” contains a set of technical and administrative
requirements for enabling the tracking of claims on the sustainable production of Bonsucro sugar cane
and all sugar cane derived products along the entire supply chain after the mill and its cane supply.
2. Audit Guidance: Bonsucro has developed guidance and clarification documents for members
and auditors on how to become compliant with The Bonsucro Production Standard and/or Chain of
Custody Standard. This includes:
1.) description of how to interpret the principles and criteria from
Bonsucro standards,
2.) audit instructions to verify compliance through indicators and verifiers,
3.)
information related to exceptional situations,
4.) objective criteria for critical limits, and
5.) Tools and
calculations for audit
3. Certification Protocol: Bonsucro has developed a Certification Protocol for members and auditors
that lists the process and procedures for certification against Bonsucro standards. This includes:
1.)
rules and requirements for Certification Bodies to audit against Bonsucro standards,
2.) certification
requirements for economic operators to demonstrate compliance to Bonsucro standards, and
3.) audit
procedures for Certification Bodies to verify compliance with Bonsucro standards.
Together these 3 elements form the Bonsucro Certification System. As such, these individual
documents can never be used as stand-alone documents and must always be used in relation to
each other.
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2. What is the Bonsucro Production Standard?
The Bonsucro Production Standard is a global standard for the sustainable production and processing of sugar cane and all sugar cane derived products. The Standard provides Principles and Criteria for environmental responsibility, social development, economic return, and good industry practices.
The Bonsucro standard consists of the following 5 Principles, each of which consists of a set of Criteria
(e.g. conditions to be met in order to adhere to the Principle):
1. Obey the law
2. Respect human rights and labour standards
3. Manage input, production and processing efficiencies to enhance sustainability
4. Actively manage biodiversity and ecosystem services
5. Continuously improve key areas of the business
The Bonsucro standard is a metric standard. Each Criterion consists of measurable Indicators
that allow quantifying performance and compliance to the Standard, and assesses continuous
improvement throughout the years.
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3. What is The Bonsucro Chain of Custody Standard?
TWhere the Bonsucro Production Standard certifies that sugar cane was produces according to sustainable production criteria, the Bonsucro Chain of Custody Standard ensures buyers throughout the supply chain that the sugar cane and sugar cane derived products that they source have indeed originated from a certified Bonsucro producer and/or support sustainable production in origin. This enables buyers to make credible claims on the sustainable origin of their products. The Bonsucro Chain of Custody Standard is a standard for enabling the tracing of claims on the sustainable production of Bonsucro sugar cane and sugar cane derived products throughout the entire supply chain. The Chain of Custody Standard contains a set of technical and administrative requirements for handling (e.g. separation and/or regulated mixing of Bonsucro certified and noncertified product) to enhance the guarantee that any claims relating to the production, procurement, and processing of Bonsucro certified sustainable sugar cane products valid.
MASS BALANCE METHODOLOGY
The Bonsucro Chain of Custody Standard supports a Mass Balance (MB) methodology. This
methodology is an administrative allocation of sustainability claims that allows for the mixing of
certified and non-certified product at any stage in the supply chain as long as the balance between
inputs and outputs is maintained.
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4. How has the Bonsucro standard been developed?
Bonsucro is a collaboration of sugar retailers, end-users (buyers of sugar and derived products), investors, traders, producers and NGO’s who are committed to sustainable sugar production by establishing principles and criteria that are applied in the sugar cane growing regions of the world. As many stakeholders as possible were encouraged to comment on the Standard through a series of public consultations via the dedicated website and Bonsucro embarked on a series of global Stakeholder Outreach Meetings, engaging in face-to-face, field and factory meetings with producers and small-scale growers in: Australia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, East Africa, South Africa, India, the European Union and Switzerland. Over the same period, an auditor conducted pilot studies using the Standard in Australia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, South Africa and India. The results of these audits give a representative view of typical mill and field indicator values. These values have been factored into the Standard.
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5. Can I demonstrate conformance with the EU RED legislative requirements through Bonsucro certification?
Bonsucro is in the process of applying for recognition from the European Union as a voluntary standard to demonstrate compliance with the requirements from the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and its similar provisions in the EU Fuel Quality Directive (FQD). In addition to its Production Standard and Chain of Custody Standard, Bonsucro has identified additional criteria to meet EU RED requirements. This additional EU scope extension is optional. Companies wishing to produce and/or trade bio fuels intended to be put onto the European Union market can demonstrate conformance with the EU RED legislative requirements through certification against Bonsucro Standard(s) PLUS its additional EU RED criteria.
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How to become a Bonsucro approved Certification Body?
1. What are the requirements for becoming a Bonsucro approved Certification Body?
In order to become recognised and approved by Bonsucro to audit and certify against the System, a Certification Body is required to hold accreditation to ISO IEC Guide 65/EN 45011 (1998) and operate at least one accredited scheme which is relevant to the sustainability criteria as required by the Bonsucro Production Standard and Chain of Custody Standard (including Bonsucro EU RED sustainability requirements). Additional accreditation against ISO 14065:2007 IDT and experience in carrying out audits in conformity with ISO 14064-3 is recommended but not mandatory. (For more information check “Better Sugarcane Initiative Certification Protocol”, chapter 4.2 - 4.3).
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2. How do I become a Bonsucroapproved Certification Body?
1. A Certification Body wishing to become approved by Bonsucro to audit against the Bonsucro
Certification System must be a registered with Bonsucro.
2. Certification Bodies can apply for approval with Bonsucro using the application form which
is available with Bonsucro upon request. The CB sends the application form together with
documentation to demonstrate its compliance to the approval criteria.
3. When the application and all required documentation have been received by Bonsucro, the
documents are reviewed and verified by Bonsucro. If all requirements are met, a contractual agreement
is sent to the CB.
4. Upon signing and returning the contractual agreement to Bonsucro, Bonsucro will issue an official
approval statement to the Certification Body and list them on the Bonsucro website as an official
Bonsucro approved Certification Body.
(For more information check “The Better Sugarcane Initiative Certification Protocol”, chapter 4.1).
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3. Is Bonsucro giving auditor training?
Yes, Bonsucro has developed an auditor training programme. The aim of this training is to educate
and train people in the specific procedures, guidelines and requirements of the Bonsucro Certification
System. The auditor training is intended for Certification Bodies, (independent) auditors, consultants
and other interested parties who like to gain a deeper understanding of the Certification System. The
training course is a mandatory requirement for Certification Bodies and/or auditors wishing to become
approved to certify against the Bonsucro Initiative Certification System.
The training includes amongst others; implementation of Bonsucro standards, requirements and
qualification for Certification Bodies and auditors, audit procedures, and tools and calculations for
assessment. The training is structured into two parts: a theoretical part and field training. Only after
successful completion of the theoretical part are participants allowed to proceed to the field training.
For more information on the dates of the auditor trainings contact Bonsucro.
ISO 14065:2007 IDT: “Greenhouse gases- Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies for use in
accreditation or other forms of recognition”
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HOW TO BECOME BONSUCRO CERTIFIED?
1. Who can become Bonsucro certified?
Everyone wishing to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable sugar cane through trading, and by tracing the Bonsucro certified sustainable sugar cane and/or sugar cane derived products, must be certified against the Bonsucro Certification System. Certification enables you to make credible claims on the sustainable origin of your products.
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2. What are the benefits of certification?
· Certification helps producers to improve their quality, increase their productivity, and reduce costs, which
enables producers to directly increase their income. In addition, certification enables producers to distinguish
themselves from conventional growers, and strengthen long-term relationships with their buyers.
· Sourcing certified sustainable sugar cane and sugar cane derived products allows buyers to
demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and make responsible claims in the market place.
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3. What are the requirements for becoming certified?
In order to become certified against the Bonsucro Certification System you must: 1.) be a registered member of the Bonsucro program, 2.) comply with the relevant requirements of the Bonsucro Production Standard (as a producer) and/or The Bonsucro Chain of Custody Standard (as a supply chain actor), and 3.) operate a quality management system to ensure and demonstrate the correct implementation and maintenance of Bonsucro Standard(s).
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4. How does Bonsucro ensure compliance against its Certification System?
Bonsucro works with accredited Certification Bodies for the independent certification of its members against the Bonsucro Certification System. Only accredited Certification Bodies that have been approved by Bonsucro are allowed to audit against the Production Standard and Chain of Custody Standard.
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5. How do I know as a producer that I am ready to become certified?
When you meet the requirements of the Production Standard you are ready to become certified.
In order to get a feel for your level of compliance, you can self-score your compliance by using the
Bonsucro Self-Assessment tool. This Self-Assessment tool is available online in the Bonsucro System
and allows you to compare your current situation to the criteria of the Standard. The outcome of
the self-assessment will give you an idea of the efforts and resources needed to comply with the
Standard, or provide you with the assurance that you are ready to become certified.
ISO 14065:2007 IDT: “Greenhouse gases- Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies for use in
accreditation or other forms of recognition”
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6. Are there support programs for producers?
Yes, Bonsucro is developing a Farmer Network support programme. For further information, please contact Bonsucro directly.
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7. When I am ready to become certified, how do I arrange for an audit?
When you have implemented the requirements of Bonsucro Standard(s) and feel that you are ready to become certified, you can contact a Certification Body to schedule for a mutually acceptable date for an audit. Only independent Certification Bodies who have been approved by Bonsucro to certify against the Certification System may be used for the audit. A list of approved- CBs will soon be available on the Bonsucro website. You can apply for an audit with a Bonsucro approved CB by contacting the CB directly and entering into an agreement with them. Bonsucro is not involved in this. It is Bonsucro’s aim to ensure that members wishing to become certified against Standard(s) can choose from a number of credible and reliable world-wide Certification Bodies.
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8. What are the steps in the certification process?
After you have entered into an agreement (contract) with a Bonsucro approved Certification Body, the CB
will commence the certification process. Generally, the certification process consists of the following steps:
1. Audit plan: The CB will start by establishing an audit plan. This plan specifies the scope of the certification
and the audit activities and timeline involved. Based on this plan the CB will conduct the audit.
2. Preliminary review: A preliminary review is optional, but strongly recommended for complex
organisations. The CB will review your processes and quality management system to get a general
understanding of your operations and management in relation to the audit process and evaluate the
state of readiness for the main audit.
3. Certification audit: The CB will conduct the main audit in order to confirm that you have effectively
implemented the requirements of Bonsucro Standard(s) and your processes and systems conform to
the requirements of the Certification System. As such, the certification audit will consist of 2 stages: 1.)
an audit of your documented management system, and 2.) an implementation audit.
4. Audit summary report: The CB will prepare a summary report on the results of the certification
process. This report will be shared with you and form the basis for the certification decision.
5. Certification decision: Upon successful completion of the certification process the CB will make a
positive certification decision and issue a ‘certificate of conformity’.
6. Registration in the Bonsucro Platform: The CB will upload the audit summary report and the
certificate into the Bonsucro System within two weeks of the certificate being issued. Upon registration
and approval of the certificate in the Bonsucro System you will receive the status ‘certified’ in the
Bonsucro member list and are ready to start trading and tracing Bonsucro certified sugar cane and
sugar cane derived products.
(For more information check “Bonsucro Certification Protocol”, chapter 5.4).
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9. What is the validity of a certification?
YThe validity of a certificate is three years. Throughout the three year validity, annual surveillance audits must be conducted. After the initial audit, two surveillance audits will need to be scheduled within the next two (harvest) years. Only when you have a valid certificate are you allowed to sell your sugar cane and sugar cane derived products as Bonsucro certified sustainable. After the expiry date of your certificate, Bonsucro can no longer guarantee that you meet the requirements of its Standard(s).
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10. What is considered the unit-of-certification?
For certification against the Production Standard the unit-of-certification is considered to be the
sugar mill, and certification will be based on audits of the mill and its cane supply area. Verification of
compliance against the Production Standard of the sugar cane in the cane supply area will be done
through sampling. In this, multi-site and/or group certification is permitted.
For certification against the Chain of Custody Standard the unit-of-certification is considered to be any
supply chain actor who takes legal ownership or physical control of Bonsucro certified sugar cane
and/or sugar cane derived products for one or several steps in the supply chain from producer to endproduct
manufacturer. Subcontractors fall under the responsibility of their contractors. In this, multi-site
certification is permitted.
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11. What are the costs of certification and who pays for these?
It is difficult to give an exact figure of how much the costs of certification will be because these costs
depend on the unique situation of each company. However, we can give you an indication as to what
these costs will include:
1. Investment costs: The costs that are needed to implement and comply with the requirements of
the Standard(s).These costs will greatly vary between companies, depending on their current level of
compliance to the Standard(s) before certification and the investments needed to meet these.
2. Audit costs: The costs of the initial- and annual surveillance audits to ensure that a company is in
compliance with Bonsucro Standard(s) and Certification System. The level of these costs will depend
on the scope, size and complexity of the audit, and vary between Certification Bodies and countries.
The costs of certification are at the expense of the unit-of-certification itself. However, the benefits of
certification outweigh the costs of certification.
The agricultural improvements that certification brings the sugar cane producers often results in quality improvement, higher productivity and cost reductions. This leads to a larger difference between cost price and sales price, hence profit. The producer can use this profit to finance his certification costs and invest in his own business. In addition, certification enables producers and buyers to distinguish themselves from conventional actors and make credible claims on the sustainable origin of your products. This creates added value to your products and access to new (sustainable) markets.
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Trading Bonsucro certified sustainable sugar cane products
1. What do I have to do in order to be able to trade Bonsucro certified sugar cane?
All members wishing to trade Bonsucro certified sustainable sugar cane and sugar cane derived
products and make a claim on this in the market must:
1. Be a member of Bonsucro
2. Be certified against Bonsucro Standard(s) and Certification System:
· Growers and millers: Implement the requirements of The Bonsucro Production Standard and
contact a Bonsucro approved Certification Body to schedule an audit. Upon successful completion
of the audit, the CB will issue a certificate which will allow you to sell your products as “certified
sustainable”.
· Supply chain actors: Implement the requirements of The Bonsucro Chain of Custody and contact a
Bonsucro approved Certification Body to schedule an audit. Upon successful completion of the audit,
the CB will issue a certificate which allows you to trade and trace certified sustainable products.
· Subcontractors and Service Providers: Subcontractors fall under the responsibility of their
contractor. In case you outsource activities to independent third parties (e.g. subcontractors for
storage, transport or other outsourced activities), you will have to ensure that the independent third
party complies with the intent and requirements of Bonsucro Standard(s) and Certification System.
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2. What trading models does Bonsucro support?
At the moment Bonsucro supports a Mass Balance (MB) methodology for the trading of Bonsucro
certified sugar cane and sugar cane derived products. This methodology is an administrative allocation
of sustainability claims that allows for the mixing of certified and non-certified product at any stage in
the supply chain, as long as the balance between inputs and outputs is maintained.
(For more information check “The Bonsucro Mass Balance Chain of Custody Standard”).
In addition to its Mass Balance methodology, Bonsucro is in the process of developing a Segregation
and Certificate Trading model as an alternative way to market and claim Bonsucro certified sustainable
sugar cane and sugar cane derived products.
· Segregation: This methodology keeps the certified sustainable product flow segregated from noncertified
product flows in order to assure that the certified product delivered to the next supply chain
actor is fully sustainable and only comes from certified sources. The chain of custody requirements
permit the mixing of certified sustainable product from a variety of sources at any stage in the supply
chain, as long as these are kept separated from non-certified products.
· Certificate Trading: This methodology is an administrative system that provides tradable (virtual)
credits for the production of certified sustainable sugar cane. It allows for the transfer of certified
sustainable volume credits from the producer directly to the end user, independent of the physical
supply chain (think of Carbon emission trade between countries).
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3. When can I start trading?
At the AGM in Puerto Rico, November 9, 10 Bonsucro will officially launch its Certification System. Both the Production Standard and Chain of Custody Standard are ready to be implemented. The first Certification Bodies are being trained by Bonsucro to audit against its Certification System. The first producers are expected to become certified in March 2011. From this moment onwards Bonsucro certified sustainable sugar cane products are available on the market. So, as soon as you are certified you can start trading and making claims and use the label.
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4. Will Bonsucro sugar cane be traceable back to the individual producer?
Not at the moment, Bonsucro operates a Mass Balance model for the trading of certified sugar cane
and sugar cane products. This model allows for the mixing of certified and non-certified product at any
stage in the supply chain, without the preservation of origin. Because this Mass Balance model is an
administrative allocation of sustainability claims whereby the balance between inputs and outputs is
maintained, you are not able to link or trace a product back to its producing origin. However, you are
able to demonstrate your support to sustainable production in general.
Traceability is a continuous process of improvement. That is why Bonsucro has designed the Mass
Balance traceability model as an intermediate step towards fully segregated supply chains. Bonsucro
believes that making traceability more accessible to industry, and allowing companies to gradually
develop towards making all their products sustainable, is what mainstream sustainability is all about
and the organisation is working towards this and hopes to have this system operational in 2011.
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5. How will the price of Bonsucro certified sugar cane be determined?
The price of Bonsucro certified sugar cane and sugar cane derived products will be determined by the market. Bonsucro certified sugar cane has extra value; it has been produced according to criteria for sustainable production and processing. Bonsucro is not involved in price negotiations.
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6. Will there be a price premium?
Not necessarily, this will be a matter for negotiation. However, Bonsucro believes the value of certification to be much more than the payment of a price premium. The agricultural improvements that certification brings to the sugar cane producers often results in quality improvement, higher productivity and cost reductions. This leads to a larger difference between cost price and sales price, hence profit. In addition, certification enables producers to distinguish themselves from conventional growers, a way of facilitating trade and strengthen long-term relationships with their buyers.
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Communication, claims, labelling
1. Will there be a label on the product?
For consumer products containing a pre-determined percentage of Bonsucro certified sugar cane, it will be possible to display the Bonsucro logo and related claim on the packaging (on-product).
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2. What are the requirements to claim on-product?
You are allowed to communicate on-product if you, as a company, are using sugar cane as
1. Single product OR
2. Hidden ingredient of your products and:
a. These products only contain sugar made of cane AND/OR
b. S ugar cane is in the top 3 of ingredients used in these products
In other cases only off-product communication is allowed.
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3. What can I claim on-product?
If you comply with the above mentioned requirements you may claim on-product:
a. In case the product contains at least 90% of certified sugar cane (segregation):
The sugar in this product is responsibly produced
b. In case the product contains at least 30% of certified sugar cane (mass balance of segregation): X% of the
sugar in this product comes from mixed responsible sources and we are committed to Y% in [year]
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4. I am not certified yet, what can I claim?
If you don’t yet buy certified sugar/certificates, but are committed to doing so in the near future and you are a Bonsucro member, you can claim off-product: We are a member of Bonsucro.
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5. What can I communicate as a certified producer?
Bonsucro certified producers can claim off-product: We are a certified member of Bonsucro.
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6. Do we have to pay for logo use?
A fee for logo use consists of two elements:
1. Members will pay a volume based trading fee (to be determined by the Supervisory Board).
2. Members will pay an administration fee for approving member’s packaging design, based on actual
spent hours.
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7. Why are the rules and requirements around communication so strict?
Guidelines have been developed to protect the value and integrity of the Bonsucro program. Proper use of the Bonsucro logo and claims will benefit both the Bonsucro organisation and its members. The logo use requirements can soon be downloaded from the website www.bonsucro.com.
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