Context
Much of the sugarcane sector remains reliant on chemical fertilisers to maximise productivity and yield.
Since BP Bunge Bioenergia’s chemical fertilisers are mostly imported, it is left exposed to price volatility in the market, and fluctuations in exchange rates.
An adverse fertiliser market led BP Bunge Bioenergia to search for sustainable alternatives to agrochemicals. It was an opportunity to explore ways of improving the productivity and longevity of the sugarcane crop, and also contribute to soil health and climate change mitigation. Bio-inputs had already been identified as a key operational change that could contribute to the improvement and standardisation of sugarcane production across BP Bunge Bioenergia’s units.
The project
The core aim of the initiative is to completely eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers in planting and reduce their use in ratoon cane throughout the company by 2025. In addition, it aims to increase productivity, reduce production costs and promote tangible economic benefits, while also challenging established agricultural conventions and inspire other stakeholders to consider more sustainable ways of operating.
The project was designed by BP Bunge Bioenergia’s corporate agricultural team, responsible for agronomic recommendations and guidelines. It is built around two main pillars:
- The effective implementation of organomineral fertilisation
- The replacement of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers with specific bacteria such as nitrospirillum amazonense and azospirillum brasilense
Organomineral fertilisation uses fertilisers made from organic material and mineral compounds to increase the availability of organic matter and nutrients in the soil. BP Bunge created its biofertilisers using its industrial waste, such as filter cake, ash and vinasse, which was then combined with microorganisms, such as nitrogen fixing and phosphorous solubilising bacteria.
Since the initiative required managers and technical staff of the sites to adopt new agricultural practices, to ensure its effective rollout BP Bunge Bioenergia had to demonstrate that the proposed changes were credible and would lead to positive results.
A new process of experimentation was created to show internal stakeholders the practical results that could be achieved by changing their agricultural practices. The company also formed strategic partnerships with universities to help validate and disseminate new practices throughout the sector.
The expansion of the area under bio-inputs occurred gradually, from 285,000 hectares in 2020 to 2.9 million hectares in 2024. At each stage, the case for expansion was based on tangible results which helped BP Bunge Bioenergia gain the trust of its stakeholders and implement further changes.
Impact and results
The main performance indicator for the project was the production of tonnes of sugar per hectare (TAH), taking into account both the quantity of sugarcane and quality of the sugar.
When the results from areas using bio-inputs were compared with the company’s historical data, a notable trend could be seen. As more land was cultivated using bio-inputs, the TAH numbers also increased. There were also substantial reductions in the use of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium fertilisers – the volumes of phosphate and potassium fertilisers used more than halved between 2021 and 2023. Productivity is expected to increase by a further 20% by 2025.
As the initiative progressed, and measurements taken, BP Bunge Bioenergia noticed major impacts on greenhouse gas emissions.
Combining this project with other initiatives, BP Bunge Bioenergia experienced a 34% reduction in scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions during the 2023-24 harvest. This was measured through RenovaBio, the Brazilian National Biofuel Policy – a programme which promotes the production and use of renewable biofuels such as ethanol. BP Bunge Bioenergia also worked with Embrapa, a state-owned research corporation affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture, and Control Union, a certification body, to establish a baseline to verify the impact on carbon sequestration and emissions from regenerative management techniques.
The project has also resulted in significant financial benefits, as their dependence on exported agricultural inputs has decreased. Between 2021 and 2024, the proportion of the budget for agricultural inputs spent on fertilisers reduced from 44% to just 12%.
Learnings and future work
To maintain and replicate the results of the initiative, and ensure its long-term sustainability, BP Bunge Bioenergia will use a systematic and collaborative approach.
Firstly, it plans to continue to invest in research and development to further improve its practices and technologies.
It also plans to share its results and experience with other companies, research institutions and government organisations, through lectures, workshops, events and academic publications.
To help replicate the results, BP Bunge Bioenergia intends to leverage strategic partnerships and implement training programmes for producers and local communities. These programmes will help train others to implement more sustainable practices in their own operations.
What did the judges say?
“Truly impressive initiative due to its scale, implementation across the entire company and the bold ambition to eliminate chemical fertilizers altogether.”
“Sustainability is well integrated into the project’s overall strategy. They have established good partnerships with universities and local communities”