18th April 2024

We’re excited to announce the organisations who are in with a chance of winning a Bonsucro Inspire Award, in recognition of their exceptional contributions to sustainability in sugarcane.

Best environmental sustainability initiative

Our environmental award celebrates the members who are going above and beyond to make their operations more environmentally sustainable.

The shortlisted organisations are:

• BP Bunge Bioenergia, for “Regenerative and sustainable management of sugar cane with high agricultural yield”, eliminating the use of chemical fertilisers in sugarcane production through organomineral fertilisation and bacteria.
• Cenicaña, for “Programa Integra”, facilitating the uptake of new technologies and more environmentally sustainable practices amongst sugarcane producers.
• EID Parry, for “Handling sugarcane residues to improve soil organic content with participation of local entrepreneurs”, increasing the organic content of soil through in-situ management practices for sugarcane residues, while generating employment opportunities for young people.

Best social sustainability initiative

Our social sustainability award looks at how our members are strengthening human rights and decent work in sugarcane farming and milling.

The shortlisted organisations are:

• EID Parry and the International Finance Corporation, for “Promoting Rural Woman Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Sugarcane Cultivation”, equipping women with entrepreneurial skills by training them in seedling and biocontrol agents production.
• Ingenio La Union, for “Mechanized harvesting: Sugar Woman’s”, developing employment opportunities and empowering Guatemalan women through training in agricultural operations.
• Tereos, for “Diversifica Tereos”, creating a guide for more diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Best value chain initiative

Our value chain award recognises how our members are working to ensure the resilience and sustainability of their supply chains.

The shortlisted organisations are:

• DCM Shriram Ltd, for Resilient and sustainable sugarcane supply chains, empowering farmers to improve yields and increase the profitability of their cane.
• Pantaleon S.A, with Bayer and Barry Callebaut, for Extensionism Program MAS-CAÑA, to help smallholder farmers acquire the technology and knowledge of best agricultural practices to improve their sugarcane production.
• Socicana and Sicoob Coopecredi, for Green Rural Loan, recognising and rewarding the sustainability efforts of farmers through financial incentives.

 

The Bonsucro Inspire Awards celebrate our members as they tackle the sustainability problems facing their regions and supply chains. This year’s projects address a range of challenges, from reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, to increasing farmers’ knowledge and developing employment opportunities for women and young people. Members from all over the world entered the Inspire Awards, including from Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and India.

Each category was judged by a distinct panel of experts in the fields of environmental, social, and value chain sustainability. Judges scored the entries in their category against a range of criteria, including looking at the inspiration behind the projects, collaboration with others, impact and learning. The shortlisted entries received the most points across the judging criteria.

Commenting on the Inspire Awards, Sonia Solis, Director of Nature Conservation at the Luis von Ahn Foundation in Guatemala and judge for the social category, said:

“I am very inspired by all social initiatives that are happening through Bonsucro partners.  Each of them has been a wonderful and tremendous effort to set up better social, health and equality conditions within the sugar sector and its value chain in these countries.”

Rewarding continuous improvement

This year, we are also celebrating our members who demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement in their operations, in the Continuous Improvement Award.

Continuous improvement is central to our strategic plan, and so every year our members report on their commitments, progress and plans for sustainability. Their answers give insight into where our members are on their sustainability journey, and helps us understand how best to support them to achieve their sustainability goals.

Members were not required to submit an entry for this award. Instead, we have assigned numerical scores to our members’ answers about continuous improvement, and the top-scoring producer and buyer organisations will win the award.

We are pleased to celebrate our members’ innovative thinking, creative problem solving and desire to make their supply chains more sustainable. We hope others will be inspired to develop similar projects that address local challenges, and accelerate sustainability in sugarcane.

You can read more about the shortlisted entries here. The winners will be announced at the Inspire Awards ceremony at Bonsucro Global Week, on Wednesday 20 May.

Join us at Bonsucro Global Week to find out the winners, and be part of the premier event for sustainability in sugarcane.