Sustainable agriculture

Sugarcane is a tall perennial grass that grows in tropical countries where high levels of rainfall and abundant sunshine combine with specific photosynthetic properties, which provide important sustainability advantages compared to most other crops.  

This is because sugarcane belongs to the exclusive club of C4 plants that naturally absorb much higher levels of atmospheric CO2 during the growing cycle than the more common C3 plants. The most productive C4 plants have yields and maximum growth rates 40–50% higher than the most productive C3 species. This also contributes to a lower carbon impact, and sugarcane’s inherent sustainability.

But like an agricultural process on any scale, we need to do more, and so we are committed to cooperating with our suppliers to adopt regenerative farming practices that ecologically protect and replenish the land.  

Our raw sugar suppliers are mills.  Some mills farm the cane they process, some buy cane from independent farmers.  Those farmers might be tiny smallholders or larger estates.  Many are facing the worst effects of climate change and are least able to adapt.  

If they are to continue to thrive we must work together to help them make the transition for which we are collectively responsible.