Brazilian mill Usina Barralcool achieves Bonsucro certification

29th January 2020

The Brazilian mill, Usina Barralcool S.A., has received both the Production and the Chain of Custody certificates. The mill is in the state of Mato Grosso and was started by entrepreneurs that believed in the alcohol production sector as a way to generate local jobs.

To achieve the certification, Usina Barralcool S.A. called on involvement and input from the entire supply chain – from harvesting all the way through to transportation, processing, storage and shipping. In addition, the team found administrative bodies such as the Department of Environment and Agriculture extremely helpful to meet the requirements set out by Bonsucro.

Initially, it proved challenging to include departments across the whole organisation in the certification process. This is because Usina Barralcool S.A. already had serval monitoring systems in place, but these weren’t being audited. However, Bonsucro’s standard enabled the team to quantify the specific parameters of each area. From here, they could set goals across the organisation and use Bonsucro’s calculator to measure them.

The implementation processes for the two certifications demonstrated to the senior management team that the standards provide many opportunities to improve the environmental and social impacts of sugarcane production. The idea of certification initially came from a customer request, however, the large range of benefits quickly demonstrated that the process would be very worthwhile. The team believes that the Bonsucro certification will offer Usina Barralcool S.A. more visibility – especially from media coverage announcing the double certification. In addition, the management team has already fulfilled a request from one of its main customers. The Bonsucro certifications allow this relationship to both continue and flourish.

Leandro Patrocínio, the Supervisor of Quality and Certifications at Usina Barralcool S.A., said that the significance of the Bonsucro certification is “sustainability and commitment.” The team is enthused to considering and improving sustainability across all business practices. And, looking ahead, the team plans to improve the processes put in place to achieve these certifications.

Is your company interested in Bonsucro certification? Find out more here.