Solidaridad Launches Unique New Positive Campaign on Sugarcane

14 Oct 2013 --- International non profit organization Solidaridad launches a unique new and positive campaign to create company commitment to improve the world with sugarcane. These commitments are crucial for working towards a more sustainable sugarcane supply chain.

“Company engagement is crucial for the drive towards a thriving sugarcane sector, with positive impacts on society and the environment. We need committed companies to start acting. What we need is positive energy, the kind of energy that creates change. This is why we aim to inspire, motivate and support companies and people who work in sugarcane through our campaign. We want to turn a new leaf, starting today”, says Sven Sielhorst, International Programme Coordinator Sugarcane at Solidaridad

Being a cane cutter is demanding and too often unhealthy and dangerous. Poverty and a lack of basic human rights are affecting the lives of millions cutters and farmers.

Sugarcane is a thirsty crop, which brings along challenges in areas where water scarcity is increasing. Pre-harvest burning is a practice that reduces the air quality in many cane-growing areas.

This is why Solidaridad is asking companies to use their influence to make the supply chain of sugarcane more sustainable and wants to start a community of change in sugarcane and turn a new leaf.

Many international companies and brands will attend the event in the museum of London Docklands. Solidaridad will ask Shell, Mondelez, SABMiller, Bacardi, Suikerunie, The Body Shop, MARS, BP, Marks and Spencer and many others how they can change the world with sugarcane.

Solidaridad will also announce a new partnership with a big international company at the campaign launch. This multination is a front-runner in sustainable sourcing and will work with Solidaridad to improve the impacts of sugar production In Central America.

Representatives of Unilever and the Brazilian sugarcane industry association will be speaking during the event. So will John Elkington: Executive Chairman of Volans, and number four at top 100 CSR leaders after Al Gore, Barack Obama and the late Anita Roddick.

During the campaign Solidaridad will ask our campaign question to as many relevant players in the world of sugarcane as possible:; How can you change the world with sugarcane? All change starts with awareness. Solidaridad will target companies with a positive tone of voice and will work towards a better world together with those companies.

Sugarcane plays an important role in the replacement of oil in producing fuels, chemicals, and plastics. The sugarcane industry provides an avenue to improve farmer income and labour conditions for millions of people. This means the industry has huge potential to contribute to the solutions for challenges that we face as a global community: poverty, climate change, indecent working conditions, a declining natural resource base. And many more.

Sugarcane is the crop of the future but its full potential can only be fulfilled if the industry and all its stakeholders further improve the way sugarcane is being produced. We can only create this change that matters together; no one can do it on their own. This campaign is a beginning of a journey towards a brighter future.