Preferred by Nature becomes a Bonsucro-licensed certification body, Tetra Pak leads the way
Preferred by Nature has made another stride toward supporting sustainable agriculture with this new official recognition from Bonsucro. We have successfully passed through a multi-level assessment for Bonsucro Chain of Custody accreditation.
The accreditation process involved a thorough review of Preferred by Nature's systems and an observation of the staff conducting an audit of Bonsucro’s chain of custody standards. The audit took place at Tetra Pak's operations as part of the accreditation assessment carried out by Accreditation Services International (ASI). Following a positive outcome, Preferred by Nature expanded its service portfolio to include this internationally recognised agriculture scheme and proudly welcomed Tetra Pak as its first Bonsucro Chain of Custody-certified client.
“Over the past two decades, the sugarcane industry has evolved into a sector deeply concerned about its environmental footprint. Thanks to initiatives like Bonsucro, today, sugarcane producers, millers, traders and refiners can offer consumers cane sugar that meets the highest sustainability standards”, said Pilar Gorría Serrano, Preferred by Nature Senior Biomass Specialist.
“We are happy to have an opportunity to be part of this process and pleased to have gone through the assessment with a company like Tetra Pak, so deeply involved in sustainability initiatives”, added Pilar.
For Tetra Pak, the Bonsucro Chain of Custody certification represents another milestone in their ongoing commitment to sustainability. The company is dedicated to ensuring access to safe products in a manner that protects food, people and the planet across more than 160 countries.
Sugarcane, the largest agricultural plant by biomass, holds immense importance and widespread applications. Cultivated in over 100 countries, it serves as a vital source of livelihood for approximately 100 million people worldwide. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), sugarcane currently ranks as the third most-produced commodity globally, trailing only cereals and milled cereals.
In its efforts to encourage sustainability throughout the sugarcane supply chain, Bonsucro has implemented the Bonsucro Production Standard as a tool to certify farmers and mills. This standard helps measure their productivity and assesses key environmental and societal impacts against the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental viability.
Bonsucro's Chain of Custody Standard applies to all stages of the product's supply chain, from feedstock production to consumption. It serves as evidence that certified entities responsibly source and trade their products, enabling compliance claims to be tracked throughout the supply chain.
Originally established in 2005 as the Better Sugar Cane Initiative by the WWF and various producers, retailers, investors, traders and NGOs, Bonsucro has evolved into a global, multi-stakeholder non-profit organisation. Its mission is to promote sustainable sugarcane production, processing and trade worldwide. With over 300 members from more than 50 countries, Bonsucro convenes stakeholders to address critical challenges in the sugarcane sector and drive performance and impact through their system of sustainability standards.
Since its launch in 2011, the Bonsucro certification scheme’s impact on the sugarcane sector has been significant, and the number of certified entities has grown consistently, reaching the amount of over 800 million tonnes of sugarcane certified in 2023.
