Global Market Report: Sugar cane prices and sustainability

The report examines the sugar cane sector, noting that while it supports over 100 million people globally, many smallholder farmers in developing countries remain in poverty due to low farm gate prices and high production costs. It evaluates the role of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs) like Bonsucro and Fairtrade, noting that while approximately 8% of global production is VSS-compliant, the impact on farmer income is limited by a lack of demand for sustainable cane sugar. The document highlights that farmers face climate-related crop losses, biodiversity loss, and water depletion, alongside economic pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic and rising fertilizer costs.

• The sugar cane industry supports more than 100 million people across 120 countries, with significant production in Brazil, Thailand, India, and South Africa, yet many smallholder farmers in developing countries live in poverty due to low farm gate prices, high production costs, and intense competition.
• Approximately 8% of global sugar cane production complied with sustainability standards such as Bonsucro or Fairtrade in 2019, representing at least 136 million tonnes produced by over 37,000 farmers.
• Fairtrade-compliant producers in Brazil, India, and Thailand may have seen price increases of up to 13% through premiums in 2019, which rose to 20% for those also holding Organic certification.
• The effectiveness of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs) in improving farmer livelihoods is hindered by a lack of demand for sustainable cane sugar, meaning VSS-compliant sugar is often sold without a premium.

APA

Luna,, V. V. B. L. L. (2023). Global Market Report: Sugar cane prices and sustainability. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/2023-global-market-report-sugar-cane

Chicago

Luna,, Vivek Voora,Steffany Bermúdez,Han Le,Cristina Larrea,Erika. Global Market Report: Sugar cane prices and sustainability. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/2023-global-market-report-sugar-cane.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Luna, |first1=Vivek Voora,Steffany Bermúdez,Han Le,Cristina Larrea,Erika |title=Global Market Report: Sugar cane prices and sustainability |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=12 September 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/2023-global-market-report-sugar-cane |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{luna2023global, author = {Luna,, Vivek Voora,Steffany Bermúdez,Han Le,Cristina Larrea,Erika}, title = {{Global Market Report: Sugar cane prices and sustainability}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/2023-global-market-report-sugar-cane}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }