Bonsucro Certification

What are the advantages of working with SCS as a Bonsucro certifier?

SCS strives to provide excellent customer service and quick responses to our clients. With local and regional teams, SCS is your trustable partner for independent third-party certification. SCS works with the main schemes for the sugarcane sector, such as Bonsucro, FSSC 22000, SMETA, FairTrade USA, USDA Organic, Non-GMO verification, ISO 14001/45001 combined audits and much more. 

How can my company prepare for certification?

Applicants can test their compliance by using the current versions of the Bonsucro approved standards and Calculator. SCS also offers pre-assessment services. For this, our team will conduct a complete audit similar to the one that will be conducted during the initial certification. A complete report with findings and observations will be delivered to the client. 

How much does Bonsucro Certification cost, and how long does the certification process take?

Cost and length of time for the assessment differ depending on the complexity of the assessment and the requirements of the Bonsucro Certification Protocol. Contact SCS for a custom quote.

What are the main components of the Bonsucro Certification System?

Main components include the Bonsucro Certification Protocol, standards and their guidance and the Calculator. The Calculator offers a metric system to assess the compliance of your operations against Bonsucro sustainability criteria and indicators.

Does your company need to include all areas of agricultural production in the scope of certification?

The operator can choose the areas that will be included in the certification unit. It should be made clear that only sugarcane and its derivatives from the selected areas can be sold as Bonsucro certified material. 

How much time will my operation have to close any nonconformities?

In general, all nonconformities need to have an approved action plan. For Production Standard they are classified into systemic, incidental  and non-conformities.  

For initial and recertification audits, the systemic and incidental must be closed before certification decision, and the non-conformities must  be corrected at least the required number of NCs to meet the pass rate . 

For surveillance audits,  Systemic nonconformities  need to be closed no later than 3 months after the audit. Incidental  nonconformities need to be closed no later than 6 months and for minor nonconformities must correct at least the required number of NCs to meet the pass rate within 3 months of the surveillance audit closing meeting.

For the Chain of Custody Standard, must correct all non conformities before certification decision or  within 3 months of the surveillance audit closing meeting.

For more information please refer to the most recent version of the Bonsucro Certification Protocol.

Will my company have the chance to sell Bonsucro credits?

Bonsucro certified sugarcane farms and mills can sell their credits via the trading platform for on and off-market trading. Buyers can use the platform to make bids for Bonsucro Credits. The four types of Bonsucro credits include cane, raw sugar, molasses and ethanol credits.

Can I use the Bonsucro certification mark on product?

According to the Bonsucro Claims & Labelling Rules, the use of the Certification Mark for on-product claims can be made only if the claim user allocates 95% or more of the sustainable characteristic to the total sugarcane-derived content of a product.

Can I use the SCS Kingfisher certification mark?

Yes, clients that earn Bonsucro Certification from SCS can use the SCS Kingfisher certification mark, along with the Bonsucro mark, on-product, on your website and in marketing materials. SCS delivers a certificate with the SCS Kingfisher mark, a marketing support packet, Kingfisher logo files, and logo use guidelines. All certified clients receive individual marketing support from the SCS marketing team.