The ecological impact of the sugar sector – Aspects of the change of a key industrial sector in Europe
Special Symposium - Innovations in Food Technology (LMC Congress)
Innovations in Food Technology - Poster Session (LMC/Food - P1)
Keywords: sugar industry, process synthesis, value chain optimization
International pressure is currently forcing the EU to change its policy in the sugar sector considerably. This is a situation to rethink the general ecological situation of this sector, both as a support for political bargaining and technological development.
Sugar from beet is currently a major agricultural product and drives a divers and considerable industrial sector in Europe. Sugar itself is the base for many industrial products, ranging from the food sector to the pharmaceutical sector to energy provision and biotechnology. The ecological impact of its provision therefore influences the sustainability of many industrial sectors.
The paper will explore the ecological impact of sugar industry and some pathways to utilise this product from the agricultural sector on through the whole value chain. The results will highlight different steps along the way to utilise sugar that are especially interesting from the point of view of ecological sustainability. Using the Sustainable Process Index as a measure the paper will compare alternative pathways to utilise sugar in order to create a solid base for the discussion of where the sugar sector should head to in order to become sustainable.
The ecological analysis must be seen as complementary to economical scenarios. Long term sustainability can only be achieved if a sector develops in a direction that generates high value while inflicting only small environmental impacts. Thus in the situation of an inevitable change in the structure of a certain sector like in the case of the sugar industry in Europe, environmental considerations will help to shape strategical decisions. The paper will provide an overview of the ecological impacts of the sugar industry and possible utilisation pathways in order to support the decision making process regarding the future of this sector.
