Production Standard Revision Public Consultation

As a multi-stakeholder organisation, Bonsucro seeks to engage stakeholders when changes are proposed and made to our standards. Here you will find detailed information about this process and current work on standards development, as well as information on how these key documents were created.

The Bonsucro Production Standard is at the heart of everything Bonsucro does. It sets out a definition of what sustainable cane production should look like, providing a comprehensive metric tool for sustainable farming and milling. Bonsucro wants to maximise the impact the Standard has on the future of the sugarcane sector and enhance the value added for the producers who implement, use and comply with it.

The Bonsucro Standard development and revision procedure is based on the ISEAL Standard Setting Code. It requires a multi-stakeholder consultation and decision-making process to ensure clear and auditable conditions in the standard itself. The process is driven by stakeholder led Standard Revision Working Group and supported by the Technical Advisory Board and the Members Council.
Standard Development and Revision Procedure.

On 18 May, Bonsucro launched the public consultation on the proposed changes to the Production Standard. The consultation will run until 31 July. Bonsucro members and non-members and all interested stakeholders are invited to participate and submit their feedback. The more input gained, the more robust the Standard will be.

Documents

The Draft of the revised Bonsucro Production Standard is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

The summary provides an overview of the changes made under the leadership of international experts in the Standard revision working group. The document is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

The consultation questionnaire is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Please feel free to answer all or part of the questionnaire and send it to Bonsucro using the address info@bonsucro.com before 31 July. Please refer to the Bonsucro Production Standard V5 draft and the summary of changes when filling in the form.

              

How to participate

From 18 May until 31 July, Bonsucro seeks your feedback on proposed changed to the Production Standard. This can be done by filling in the questionnaire provided and sending it to Bonsucro before 31 July. Bonsucro will host a series of webinars in English, Spanish and Portuguese to inform stakeholders on the proposed changes to the Standard. The webinars are split into five phases, each of which cover different theme to allow participation according to field of expertise and interest. Please see below the times of the webinars and register directly. Also find the recordings and presentations of all prior webinars.

The standard consultation documents are available throughout the consultation period and the survey can be answered at any time. Bonsucro encourages to attend the dedicated webinars to have a better understanding of each area before submitting feedback.

The public consultation on the revised Production Standard is a critical step in the development of the organisation for the positive impact it would bring to the sugarcane sector and its stakeholders. Bonsucro and the working group thank you in advance for your support and participation.

If you have any questions about the Standard revision or the public consultation, please contact Nahuel Tuñón, Standards Manager.

To participate, follow this link. The survey is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

At the end of the consultation, Bonsucro will collate all comments. An anonymised summary of the comments will be made available on Bonsucro website. Bonsucro will also provide answers to the comments.

The comments will be shared with the Standard Revision working group who will analyse them to produce the second draft of the revised Production Standard.

Webinars held during the public consultation and resources mentioned

Phase 1: Introduced the Standard Revision and public consultation process – it outlined where the find the documents, how to provide feedback and highlight all the consultation activities.

 

Download the webinar presentation in English, Spanish, Portuguese or French.

Phase 2: Informed stakeholders on the changes to the structure of the Standard and the introduction of a new management principle and what these changes aim to achieve.

Download the webinar presentation in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Phase 3: Addressed the changes to social indicators, in particular indicators on living wage and the introduction on indicators on abuse/harassment.

Read our report, ‘Towards a living wage in the sugarcane sector?’

Identifying feasible benchmark methodologies to include a decent
or living wage benchmark in Bonsucro’s Production Standard.

 

Download the webinar presentation in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Phase 4: Looked at health and safety indicators and focused on changes that relate to health and safety risk assessments, working hours, housing for workers and sanitation.

Download the webinar presentation in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Phase 5: Examined the agro-technical/environmental indicators and focused on changes to protecting sensitive ecosystems and new requirements around environmental management plans.


Download the webinar presentation in English, Spanish or Portuguese.