Certification in the sugar and ethanol sector: an analysis of indicators and the integration of ISO 9001 and Bonsucro

The Continuing Education Program in Economics and Business Management [PECEGE], in partnership with the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock [CNA], annually conducts a survey of sugarcane, sugar, ethanol, and bioelectricity production costs in Brazil. The analyses are based on questionnaires administered to sugarcane suppliers and sugar, ethanol, and bioelectricity mills. The survey of mills included questions regarding the possession of socio-environmental certifications, due to their widespread use in the sugar-energy sector. The analysis focuses on two certifications: ISO 9001, the most widely adopted certification; and Bonsucro, a sector-specific certification with significant presence in Brazil. Its criteria meet the regulations of potential consumer markets such as the United States, the European Union, and Asia. The analysis of the results shows that the Traditional Center-South region stands out positively in terms of the number of environmental certifications, while the Expansion Center-South region stands out for its social certifications. In the Northeast, there is a smaller proportion of mills holding certifications. Finally, some productivity and price indicators are compared between mills certified with ISO 9001 and Bonsucro and those that do not have any certifications.