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Sugar cane

Nowadays, about seventy per cent of the world’s supply of sugar (sucrose) is derived from sugar cane, which is mainly produced in the Southern Hemisphere. Sugar cane is a tall grass which resembles the bamboo cane. The sucrose is retrieved from the inside of the cane. There is no difference between the end products of beet and cane sugar, which are both called white sugar, but sugar cane can also be processed into brown sugar. This is a half processed form of sugar, often called raw sugar, and can only be derived from sugar cane.

Did you know…

 

  • Sugar cane is the plant that yields the highest number of calories per unit area;
  • Sugar cane originated in New Guinea, where it has been known for thousands of years;
  • Sugar cane is now grown in more than 70 countries mainly in the tropical zone, but also in some subtropical areas?

Most important export countries

   Sugar Cane (Brown)

  1. Brazil
  2. Australia
  3. Thailand
  4. Guatemala
  5. Cuba

   Sugar Cane (White)

  1. Brazil
  2. Thailand
  3. India
  4. Colombia
  5. Malaysia

Most important production countries

  1. Brazil
  2. India
  3. China
  4. Thailand
  5. Pakistan

Production chain

Both sugar cane and sugar beet can be processed into white sugar, though with different processing techniques. However, sugar cane is mainly traded in a half processed form which is unique to sugar cane; brown sugar. Top producers of sugar cane are Brazil and India. Sugar cane plantations are usually established in the spring. As sugar cane grows, its stems multiply at the base, often producing a cluster of two or three stems. Cut sugar cane re-grows, so plantations last for many years with no replanting needed. The percentage of sucrose in sugar beet is higher than that in sugar cane; seventeen and ten percent respectively.

Problems

In the sugar cane sector in several countries, the health and safety of workers are compromised in the field and in the mill. Maintaining and harvesting sugar cane can be unhealthy and dangerous for the workers. Their work involves the use of sharp machetes and at times exposure to hazardous chemicals. In addition, medical care is often not available on plantations. The use of forced labour and debt bondage takes place in several sugar cane producing regions. Often, the salaries for workers in the sugar cane sector are not enough even for their basic needs. As for environmental concerns, unsustainable use of water is a practice that at times takes place in the plantations. Over- irrigation is a pertinent issue in the sector. Burning the cane fields is an additional problem linked to soil erosion and degradation of land.

Major Chain Issues

In the sugar cane sector, Fairfood International has identified the following major chain issues:

Major chain Production stage
Insufficient Income and Income insecurity Production
Water Mismanagement and Contamination Production
Corruption Whole chain
Unhealthy and unsafe working conditions Production
Forced Labour Production
Harmful Agricultural and Aquafarming Practices Production

Solutions

The guide below shows certification schemes whose standards indicate a match with some or all of Fairfood’s researched major issues for this commodity. To learn more about the schemes, click on their logo.


Fairtrade
Global Gap		 Naturland
Rainforest Alliance
ProTerra Certified
EcoSocial
EU Organic Labels


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Customised sustainability initiatives
In addition to making use of standards and certification schemes, major issues in this commodity could also be addressed in a customised manner. The box below outlines a few examples of initiatives that deal with sustainability issues in this particular sector. Companies could join some of the platforms or roundtables mentioned below. These could serve as a stepping stone to increased sustainability. Other initiatives, in the form of corporate programmes and chain partnerships, could serve as inspiration for replication by other companies within the sector. To learn more about any of the initiatives, click on their logo. 

Roundtable
 The Better Sugar Cane Initiative (BSI) is a global, multi-stakeholder initiative implemented in 2005. In its mission to ensure a sustainable sugar cane production, BSI attempts to reduce its environmental and social impacts. BSI bases their sustainability standards on globally applicable performance-based principles, criteria, indicators, and standards that are still specific to local circumstances. The initiative established five principles that address social and environmental issues, while acknowledging the need for financial and economic viability. The five principles address the priority issues Fairfood identified for sugar cane.
The Sugar Producer Support Initiative (SUPSI) was established by the Solidaridad Network, Better Sugar Cane Initiative, and World Wildlife Fund in 2010. Its aim is to support small-scale farmers and farm workers in the global sugar cane sector and prepare them to attain certification in order to increase the value of the sugar cane supply chain. SUPSI targets 55,000 smallholder farmers and 170,000 farm workers employed by large plantations in India, Pakistan, Malawi, South Africa, Belize and Honduras.