Almost half of the white sugar and white sugar products are derived from sugar cane. However, the cultivation of this plant is associated with an environmental problem for people living in the area of fields and the environment in general. The fact is that growers burn canes before harvesting to make them easier to process. As a result, harmful substances enter the air. This problem has not yet been resolved in the United States or other countries. Field monitoring can be one of the solutions to the problem.
Where is Sugarcane Grown?
Approximately 80% of sugar is derived from sugar cane, the remaining 20% – from sugar beet. In total, 120 countries are involved in sugar production. Still, the main territory for growing sugar cane is the tropics and subtropics. For example, in the United States, it is Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and Hawaii. Last year, the sugarcane production was 35.5 million tons, and world production reached more than 165 million tons.
How and When is Sugarcane Harvested?
To obtain the chopped cane’s maximum weight, manufacturers must choose the correct technique and the harvest period. Young or overripe sugar cane can result in crop loss and product quality degradation. Depending on the region, the ripening period can range from 10 to 20 months. Reed maturity indicators are:
- growth retardation;
- the appearance of arrows;
- yellowing of leaves;
- upon hitting, a plant gives a metallic sound.
The difficulty lies in the fact that the mentioned technique consists in the need to trim reeds to ground level. It is the only way to collect the lower sugar-rich internodes. Proper cleaning is also required; otherwise, foreign objects can get into the sugar: leaves, roots, and other debris. Thus, skilled workers can only perform manual harvesting, and for mechanical harvesting, farmers use special, rather expensive machines.
Why Do Farmers Burn Sugarcane in the First Place?
It is a debatable problem. In particular, industry advocates make some arguments. The main one is the accumulation of dried leaves around the base of a stem, which are highly flammable. Thus, if not destroyed, they can accidentally ignite and endanger workers and equipment. Also, leaf debris slows down the growth of plants in the next season. But this argument is disputed. Since by the growing season’s end, the ripening periods on the scorched soil and that covered with vegetation equalize.
However, according to environmentalists, the main reason for burning sugarcane lies in monetary savings since producers do not need to collect and process unnecessary plant waste afterward. In any case, this problem remains unresolved, in particular, because sugar producers declare that the refusal to incinerate will increase production costs and, accordingly, will cause a rise in sugar prices for final consumers.
Monitoring Sugarcane Burning Pollution
Modern legislation regulates the amount and principles of emissions of harmful substances into the air. In particular, in the USA, there is the so-called Clean Air Act, the standards of which should be observed by manufacturers. However, due to the large production volumes, monitoring compliance with these rules is mainly the producers’ responsibility.
Moreover, there are “weak points” in the legislation. For example, according to the Act mentioned above, pollution is determined by the average particulate matter in the air over 24 hours, and sugar cane is burned much faster. However, such emissions can be hazardous for humans and cause asthma attacks and other problems with the respiratory system. Therefore, law enforcement agencies often have no reason to identify violations.
Thus, sugarcane production is a controversial issue. On the one hand, sugar is extracted from it, a highly demanded product in the world market. On the other hand, damage to the environment and people is associated with its production. Today, we cannot solve this problem due to objective factors (increased economic costs) and producers’ reluctance to lose profits. The regulation of pollutant emissions from sugar cane production also needs to be improved. Despite relevant legislative acts, monitoring is complicated by large volumes of production and requires the introduction of modern technologies.
