Putting deforestation 'in the picture'
Why are we doing it?
Where I grew up in southern Brazil, I saw the negative effects of agriculture expanding into the natural environment and the pre-harvest burning of sugar. Now I’m helping to stop it.”
Cristine Kayser – Sustainability Specialist
What are we doing?
The Atlantic Forest runs across the eastern coast of Brazil. It’s one of the richest natural areas on the planet but only 12% percent of the original forest remains according to the WWF1. Protecting this forest is especially important to Corbion because, sitting in its shadow in São Paulo State, lies our Orindiúva facility - which relies on local sugar cane as its major feedstock for AlgaPrime™ DHA, our sustainable algae-based omega-3 ingredient.
“The goal is to source 100% deforestation-free sugar and currently we are at 93% in Brazil,” says Cristine. “We are working closer than ever with local sugar mills to ensure that sugar cane is grown on existing arable land and/or farmed using more efficient, modern farming methods that enable sugar producers to get more from the same land.”
To monitor deforestation in the region, Corbion works with an organization called Global Risk Assessment Services (GRAS) which uses high-definition satellite technology to monitor land-use changes in the area. “We are able to compare images year-on-year to see if any deforestation has happened,” says Cristine. “The good news is that no deforestation has occurred in the land we source our raw materials from in Brazil since 2000.”
How are we doing?
Through collaboration with organizations like GRAS, Corbion is well on target to reaching its goal of sourcing all key agricultural raw materials as verified deforestation-free by 2025. Says Cristine: “It has been wonderful to work on this project and help my home country in some small way.”