"The sugar industry has been catastrophic for Cambodia's poor, so why are companies being honoured?"

22 June 2016

In October, Bonsucro, the world’s largest association promoting responsible sugar production, presented its annual sustainability award. At a banquet and cocktail reception attended by industry insiders, the association honored Thai sugar producer Mitr Phol, one of Coca-Cola’s top three global cane suppliers, for its “exemplary work.” ... What Bonsucro didn’t – couldn’t – mention is that Mitr Phol is responsible for grabbing the land and ruining the lives of thousands of impoverished Cambodians... If Bonsucro hopes to repair its damaged reputation, it must demonstrate its independence and enforce its own ideals and standards. The association should immediately compel Mitr Phol to compensate Hoy and the other Cambodians whose lives it destroyed. That would send the right message: Bonsucro is finally beginning to get serious about ethical sugar production, and it is not in the business of scrubbing the blood and suffering from sugar grown on stolen land.