Environmental Management

Today, environmental management is a key priority at local, national, and international levels. The selection of suitable land for growing sugarcane and many aspects of farm management must be suitably managed to minimize adverse environmental impacts. The adaption of appropriate farming practices will ensure the long-term sustainability of soil and water resources, minimize impacts on downstream environments, protect or enhance regional biodiversity, and develop positive community relations. Most industries, particularly intensive agricultural industries like the sugar industry, must address a range of environmental concerns. Many of the environmental issues faced by the sugar industry are shared with other intensive agricultural industries. Some environmental issues arise from practices specific to the sugarcane industry, most notably, the practice of burning fields prior to harvesting to reduce the quantity of extraneous material delivered to the mills with the cane. Others, such as mill effluents and boiler emissions, arise from the nature of sugar as an industrial crop and the fact that, because of the costs of transporting cane, processing must be performed close to the point of harvest. All industries are required to follow local environmental legislation, which is different in each country. Essentially, they focus on management of emissions into the air, water use, liquid effluents, and solid wastes.