The economic value of sustainability certification for sugarcane farms

Abstract

Certifications related to sustainability in agribusiness are a crucial tool for promoting agricultural processes with a higher level of socio-environmental responsibility. However, their economic impact on small and medium-sized rural properties remains a topic of discussion. This research, with its comprehensive approach, aims to assess the economic potential generated by Bonsucro certification, an innovation process in sustainability. This process introduces pioneering evaluation criteria to meet the specific sustainability demands in the sugarcane sector on small and medium-sized properties. The approach was quantitative, using the Discounted Cash Flow method supported by Monte Carlo Simulation, where four scenarios were developed considering the small and medium producers without certification and with Bonsucro certification. The results obtained not only allow for obtaining the Economic Value of certified and non-certified producers but also for profiling the modal producer (who possesses traditional characteristics of the region), identifying convergence variables that are common characteristics among them and that impact land management, such as education, average age, investment capacity, among others. The findings demonstrate that small and medium-sized rural properties certified by Bonsucro create more economic-financial and sustainable value than uncertified rural properties. These findings can serve as a powerful motivator for private entities and associations of rural producers to implement certification, thereby empowering small and medium-sized rural producers to address relevant issues that have impacted the sustainability of sugarcane production, bringing significant results in terms of economic viability and socio-environmental impact.