the better sugarcane initiative – impacts and benefits on the global sugarcane industry

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