Bonsucro is an international not for-profit, multistakeholder governance group established in 2008 to promote sustainable

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

. Its stated aim is to reduce 'the environmental and social impacts of sugarcane production while recognising the need for economic viability'. It does this through setting sustainability standards and certifying sugar cane products including

ethanol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...

, sugar and molasses. , 25% of global land planted in sugar cane was Bonsucro certified. Bonsucro has more than 500 members in more than 40 countries around the world including farmers, millers, traders, buyers and support organisations. Bonsucro is one of the few certifications to have developed measures for

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and ...

, and consequently the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

has stated that the Bonsucro standard can be used to demonstrate compliance with the EU

Renewables Directive The Renewable Energy Directive 20182018/2001 is a Directive in EU law that requires 32 percent of the energy consumed within the European Union to be renewable by 2030. This target is pooled among the member states. Background Before the 200 ...

(EU RED) when importing ethanol fuel, although the standard had to be altered to comply fully. Both Bonsucro and the standards set by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials have been noted as in practise expanding the EU RED guidelines to include other factors, such as land tenure issues as prescribed by national law. EU market access has been labeled as important by Colombian policy-makers, and described as driving the country's national policy aiming for 40% Bonsucro sugarcane. However, this use of certification in the context of biofuels has caused concern regarding the consequences of intensification in Colombia, although as of November 2014 no mills had yet achieved certification in the country. The first Bonsucro certified ethanol fuel, from

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, was first imported into Europe through the

Port of Rotterdam The Port of Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe, and the world's largest seaport outside of East Asia, located in and near the city of Rotterdam, in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004, it was the worl ...

in 2012.{{cite web , title = Port of Rotterdam Authority - Argos Energies buys first Bonsucro certified ethanol for the European consumer market , url = http://www.portofrotterdam.com/en/News/pressreleases-news/Pages/argos-energies-buys-bonsucro-certified-ethanol-european-consumer-market.aspx , publisher = Port of Rotterdam , date = 2012 , accessdate = 2014-08-25

References

Nature conservation organisations based in the United Kingdom Sugar organizations Product certification Environmental certification 2008 establishments in England Agricultural organisations based in the United Kingdom Environmental organizations established in 2008