Bonsucro : Louis Dreyfus Company extends Bonsucro Chain of Custody Certification

Bonsucro is pleased to announce that Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has achieved another Bonsucro Chain of Custody (ChoC) certification. LDC, founded in 1851, is a leading merchant and processor of numerous agricultural goods, including sugar, and is active in more than 100 countries. LDC has the stated aim of helping to 'feed and clothe up to 500 million people by sourcing, processing and transporting approximately 81 million tons of commodities around the globe each year'.

LDC's latest ChoC certification applies to Imperial Sugar Company and the sugar trading operations of Louis Dreyfus Company Sugar Merchandising LLC. It follows the Bonsucro Production Standard certificate achieved by its sister company Biosev for their Brazilian Santa Elisa Mill in 2012, and the ChoC certification obtained by Louis Dreyfus Company Suisse SA earlier this year, for its sugar trading operations in Geneva, Switzerland.

LDC explains that it is consumer demand for sustainably-sourced products that is driving companies such as LDC to support initiatives such as Bonsucro. 'More consumers today are requiring that the products they purchase contain ingredients that are environmentally and socially sustainable and are sourced from responsible suppliers.'. The Bonsucro certification is, for LDC, evidence of a wider business culture, 'This certification aligns with LDC's commitment to sustainability and helps us meet our customers' needs and consumers' expectations. A big part of the decision to pursue Bonsucro certification is LDC's recognition that Bonsucro is the multi-stakeholder initiative that best defines sustainable cane production. On a corporate level, LDC supports sustainable supply chains in all the businesses we're involved in and this is no exception.'
LDC has committed to having strong community relationships, responsibility in its operations and a respect for diversity. 'We see the Bonsucro Chain of Custody certification as another important step on our sustainability journey in sugar. One of LDC's core commitments is to sustainability, to operate in a socially responsible manner and to proactively engage on sustainability issues.'

'Bonsucro's efforts towards educating and assisting sugar cane farmers and mills around the world on social, environmental and economic issues and providing metrics for improvement are fully aligned with LDC's strong sustainability ethos. We would like to thank SCS Global Services and Bonsucro for their support and guidance during this process'

Following the successful achievement of ChoC certification, LDC intends to continue working with Bonsucro and engaging with their suppliers to address and overcome sustainability challenges: 'LDC will continue to partner with Bonsucro and various origins that supply us to engage in long-term sustainable sugar practices. We also look forward to working with Bonsucro and the various stakeholders that own raw sugar supply quotas in the United States, in order to adopt this standard across the entire supply chain'.