NPR - Sustainability For A Sugarcane Grower In The South African Sugar Industry – Can SUSFARMS® Add Value?

A farm management system called SUSFARMS® was developed for growers in the South African sugar industry concentrating mainly on the sugar industry’s best management practices but also taking the legislative requirements and sugar industry standards into account. Refinement of this tool in 2012 resulted in a revised approach, from linear to the full integration of the three principles of planet, people and prosperity. This paper will review the improvements and consider whether the sustainability of the South African sugarcane grower can be assisted by the implementation of SUSFARMS®. The paper will argue that although SUSFARMS® is a critical farm management tool that can be used to improve farm sustainability, the sustainability of the South African grower depends on a broader framework. Growers, however, play an integral role in the sugar value chain and therefore their adoption of SUSFARMS® would add value to all sugarcane products in the long term and their revenue in the short term. Although the Prosperity principle requirements have been enhanced in the 2012 version, further revision will be required and it is clear that adoption of this principle will provide a big challenge.

Keywords: planet, prosperity, people, sugarcane, SUSFARMS®, management
Sub-theme: environmental aspects of farming