A SUSTENTABILIDADE NO SETOR SUCROALCOOLEIRO MATO-GROSSENSE SOB A ÓPTICA DOS INDICADORES DO CERTIFICADO BONSUCRO EU: um estudo de caso em três usinas sucroalcooleiras

Abstract

Sustainability is now part of companies’ environments, since production should be in accordance with the practices acceptable by society and government. The disregard for the natural environment went from local to worldly, imbalances in biodiversity are felt by all. The answer to this scenario is the international laws and certifications aiming the global welfare, and specifically on biofuels and the sugarcane sector internationally they include the European Union Directive 2009/25/EC and the Bonsucro Standard. So that, the sugarcane sector has its practices monitored worldwide. Inadequate production practices are penalized with not acceptance commercial and competitive disadvantage. This work is part of a research in sustainable actions management in the Mato Grosso sugarcane sector, aiming the answer to the question/problem: How is the sustainability level of sugarcane companies in Mato Grosso State regarding the Bonsucro EU Certificate indicators? And has the main goal to determine whether the sustainability actions of Mato Grosso sugarcane companies is according to the Directive 28/2009/EC and the Bonsucro Standard indicators. The evaluation basis was according the approach of the five principles that compound the Bonsucro standard and the section 6 which discusses the EU Directive. This work was conducted from a holistic multiple case study that consists of three out of the ten sugarcane companies in Mato Grosso State, at the 2013 crop season. The study is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research conducted first by survey of secondary data obtained through theoretical basis of sustainability and standards issues. Primary data was collected through field visit, interviews, documental analysis and direct observation. The results indicate that the companies do not meet the EU Directive and the Bonsucro standards; hence they cannot receive the Bonsucro EU certification on their activities during the 2013 crop season. Another observation, brought by this study is that the companies have their sustainable actions based on compliance, and not- compulsory sustainable actions occur less frequently or are nonexistent.