Corporate Social Responsibility - Sustainable Development Policy ...

Studying the Sugar Production Process in PakistanThe environment of the area in which sugar is produced is damaged in manyways during the production process including degradation of wildlife, soil, airand water. This is mainly due to intensive use of water, heavy use of agrochemicals,discharge and runoff of polluted effluent and air pollution. An efficientuse of resources is not only environment friendly but also brings about reductionin major costs for the grower as well as leading to better productivity and yield.I. SoilSugarcane farming also causes soil erosion and hampers its ability for waterretention. Soil erosion risks are worsened when cane is cultivated on slopes and/or beet is cultivated in such a way that fields are left bare over winter. In agronomicterms, the loss of soil by erosion affects future yields and limits the sustainabilityof sugar crop growing by eradicating organic matter as well as nutrient-richmaterial from the soil. The nurturing of sugarcane also disturbs the soil quality;the impacts include loss of soil organic matter, changes in nutrient levels,salinization and acidification.Sugarcane growers rather than beet growers generally face soil salinity issues.Salinization results from over irrigation, poor drainage and cultivation in floodpronelands or in plains where sea water intrusion occurs. Salinity of soil leads tolower crop yields. It has been discovered that sugarcane yields are almostsignificantly 50% lower on soils opened to water logging and salinity than onfresh unaffected land. Even worse it was estimated that 40% of the cane growingareas of Pakistan have salinity troubles.Sustainable systems to maintain and improve soil quality are required not onlyto save the environment and protect the society but also to ensure the continuityof the sugar industry. Soil erosion can be reduces and soil quality may be improvedthrough a number of measures including: trash mulching in cane cultivation,maintenance of beet as part of a crop rotation, terracing, contour and strip plantingof cane on slopes, maintenance of ‘live barriers’ (hedgerows, riparian zones), andmodified (reduced or minimum) tillage. 4848Sugar and the Environment, WWF report. Available on: http://www.sugarcoconut.com/blogs/21-environmental-effectsof-sugar.htmly 47