- What does the Bonsucro label mean?

What does the Bonsucro label mean?

You may have seen the Bonsucro label on a product or on a company’s website. It is the sustainability label for sugarcane and its derivatives (sugar, ethanol, molasses, and bagasse).

Whenever you buy a product that is Bonsucro-certified, you are encouraging farmers and mills to be more sustainable.

That means:

Lower use of water

Certified mills reduce water use by 41% on average after 5 years of certification.

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Certified mills reduce land management GHG emissions by 17% within five years of certification.

Lower use of fertilisers

Producers reduce their fertiliser use by 11% on average after 5 years of certification.

Land and biodiversity conservation

The Bonsucro Standard includes a zero-deforestation policy for legally protected forests and states that no land included in certification can be converted from a natural ecosystem into farmland.

Higher wages

Certified farms pay 19% above the national minimum wage

Safer working conditions

(Personal protective equipment, access to first aid, drinking water)

Certified operators and workers experience a significant fall in accidents, with average reductions of 30% in mills and 20% in farms over five years of certification.

Why sugarcane?

When you hear “sugarcane”, you may think of the sugar in your daily food and drink products. But did you know that sugarcane was also used in these sectors?

The versatility of sugarcane makes it a remarkable plant. Grown in over 100 countries from Latin America to Africa to Asia-Pacific, it’s the largest agricultural plant by biomass. Its production supports millions of people.

But the way it’s grown and processed can negatively impact nature and people.

Some of the biggest issues in the sugarcane sector are:

- poor working conditions, putting the health of workers at risk
- one of the world’s thirstiest crops (it takes 213 gallons of water to produce a pound of refined cane sugar. Source: WWF)
- habitat loss from land conversion
- soil and water pollution from fertilisers
- soil degradation
- climate change threatening production, yields, and livelihoods.

We believe working with the whole industry to address those issues is vital.

What are we doing?

Bonsucro is the leading global sustainability platform and standard for sugarcane.

Our mission is to collectively accelerate the sustainable production and uses of sugarcane.

We work with companies all along the sugarcane supply chain, from farmer to consumer goods manufacturer, and NGOs to address critical environmental and social challenges and help to create a supply chain that delivers positive impacts.

To become Bonsucro-certified, companies must comply with our strict set of standards and be assessed by third-party auditors.

Finding Bonsucro-certified products

You may have been using Bonsucro certified products without realising it! Bonsucro certified sugarcane is used in many products by well known brands. Our label isn’t widely used on products, but we hope it will be in the future.

Here are some of the brands that have committed to sourcing certified sustainable sugarcane:

If you spot the Bonsucro label on a product, we would love you to send us a picture, or share it on social media and show your support for the brand’s sustainable sourcing.

You can tag us on Twitter and LinkedIn at @bonsucro.

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