Unilever and Solidaridad team to drive sustainable sugarcane in Central America

In the UK, Unilever and Solidaridad announced a partnership to drive sustainable development in sugarcane industry in Central America. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding was celebrated Monday at the launch of the official Solidaridad campaign: “How to change the world with sugarcane.” The initiative supports Unilevers commitment to source 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably.

The project is being led from Central America, with an initial focus on Mexico. The aims are:

·         To improve productivity of 3,600 farm and mill laborers in compliance with International Labor Organisation decent labor standards.

·         To improve social, environmental and commercial farm performance for 1,900 farmers through farmer support with 8,000 hectares under good agricultural management.

·         To achieve one mill and 5,000 hectares in compliance with Bonsucro Production Standard and to create cross-industry leanings around sustainability and certification.

·         To share lessons learned and experiences with other actors in the Mexican and Central American sugarcane industry.