Analysis of sustainability indicators of the sugarcane agroindustry in Veracruz, Mexico

Resumen

Objective: To analyze the sustainability indicators of the sugarcane agroindustry in Veracruz, Mexico.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The performance of seven sugar mills was analyzed with data from ten harvests (from the 2013/2014 harvest to the 2022/2023 harvest). Performance was evaluated on the basis of 18 sustainability indicators (12 indicators for the field and 6 indicators for the factory). The data were evaluated with an analysis of variance, while the representation of the indicators was determined with the Principal Component Analysis (PCA).

Results: The APPS (percentage of the area planted with a double furrow system), STBC (percentage of the area managed with biological control), and PGHA (percentage of the area harvested green) indicators allowed the research team to differentiate the performance between the evaluated sugar mills. The PCA showed that the San Cristóbal, San Miguelito, Central Progreso and La Gloria sugar mills recorded the highest percentages in the indicators of integrated pest management, application of organic fertilizers, and sugar cane yield.

Findings/Conclusions: El Modelo and La Providencia sugar mills have implemented strategies to promote sustainable practices, enabling them to improve field yield and factory efficiency. Finally, La Providencia, Pánuco, Central Progreso, and La Gloria sugar mills recorded the best compliance with Mexican official standards.