the better sugarcane initiative – impacts and benefits on the global sugarcane industry
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The Better Sugarcane Initiative – Impacts and Benefits on the Global Sugarcane Industry. R Quirk, H Morar, R Perkins, G Kingston, W Burnquist. Why Sugarcane. Better Sugarcane or Better Sugar? The crop has the impact not the products Why the focus on Cane? cane is bigger than beet - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
The Better Sugarcane Initiative – The Better Sugarcane Initiative – Impacts and Benefits on the Global Impacts and Benefits on the Global
Sugarcane IndustrySugarcane Industry
The Better Sugarcane Initiative – The Better Sugarcane Initiative – Impacts and Benefits on the Global Impacts and Benefits on the Global
Sugarcane IndustrySugarcane Industry
R Quirk, H Morar, R Perkins,R Quirk, H Morar, R Perkins,
G Kingston, W BurnquistG Kingston, W Burnquist
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Why Sugarcane
Better Sugarcane or Better Sugar? The crop has the impact not the products
Why the focus on Cane? – cane is bigger than beet– beet faced uncertainty during BSI set-
up– concentrate resources for higher
impact
Best or Better Management?Constant improvement makes what is now the best obsolete in the future
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
History of BSI
• June 2005 – better sugar: better business meeting agreed key impacts
• July 2005 to January 2006 – aims and objectives agreed by e-mail
• January 2006 – Interim Steering Group agreed structure and governance
• Jan 2006 to present - Steering Group develops the initiative
• Communication brief developed and circulated in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Other Commodity Round Tables
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
(www.rspo.org)• Round Table on Responsible Soy• Better Cotton Initiative• Shrimp and Salmon aquaculture
initiatives
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
What BSI will do
• Reduce, measurably, the most significant social and environment impacts
• Identify both on-farm and regional impacts
• Focus on 5-10 biggest impacts, not laundry lists
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
What BSI will do
• Identify a range of better management practices (BMPs) for different scale producers
• Analyze the economics of BMPs - most pay for themselves in 2-3 years• Multi-stakeholder, transparent process
to agree:• The most significant impacts • Acceptable, measurable goals
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Preparation and Planting – Research
– Minimum Till– Chemical weed control– Direct drilled break crops– Mounded rows– Controlled traffic– Wider multiple rows– Direct drilled, mechanical cane planting
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Growing the Plant Crop – Research
– Zero Till– Inter Row chemical weed control– Split stool fertilizer application
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Ratooning – Research
– Inter row chemical weed control– Split stool fertilizer application
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
BSI structure
Steering CommitteeDrives process• 5 members (+4 open)• Chairman
Multi-stakeholder forumFeedback, final sign-off on stds • <100 institutions & experts• Annual regional meetings
Cane production
Cane processing + co-products
Social / community
Technical working groups Propose draft standards• Paid leader + seconder• Consult growing regions
SecretariatDay-to-day running• Paid Co-ordinator• 0.5 FTE Technical help
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
BSI Steering Committee
• Committee members on 24 Nov 2006– Robert Quirk, canegrower (chairman)– Jason Clay, environment NGO – Olivier Geneviève, social NGO– Hari Morar, miller/refiner– Harry Ott, soft drinks company
• Seeking ACP, Brazilian, biofuel and banker representatives on Steering Committee and others
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Voluntary standards
BSI communication 17 February 2006:
“Participants reconfirmed that
the social and environmental standards that are eventually adopted
will be voluntary”
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Developing and using standards
• The private sector needs to be transparently engaged in defining goals (eg. NSW Sugar’s Self Regulation)
• Adoption of goals by industry should preclude the necessity of Government intervention and regulation
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Consultation
BSI:
• agrees that wide consultation and participatory approach are needed
• will work with all who share its aims and objectives
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Social standards
BSI:• Agrees that social goals will not be easy
to set
• Will remain aware of ILO processes
• Will set up a Social and Community Technical Working Group (TWG)
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Goals & Implementation
• All BSI members will decide on achievable goals
• Goals achieved by BMPs can be used as screens for investors, buyers or insurers to make commodity production more sustainable
• The market will decide uptake, not BSI.
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
Next steps
• www.bettersugarcane.org• BSI meeting in January 2007 in London
– 3-4 places available for potential Steering Committee members
• Recruit Steering and other members • Raise funds and in-kind contributions• Consult on Technical Working Groups• Participate in ISSCT 2007
5th to 8th of December 2006, IAPSIT Symposium, Guiling, P R China
And over time…
• Set up BSI as an independent organisation
• Consult iteratively on standards
• Propose draft standards in 2008
• Could be adopted by biofuels buyers