A Research Paper on a Sugar Industry

A Research Paper on a Sugar Industry

Introduction

Sugar is one of the fundamental commodities that the human body requires to function effectively (Caldas, & Santos, 2015). Sugar demand continues to increase from year to year.  It is a natural product which one obtains by extracting sugar from the crushed cane. Production of sugar involves two distinct operations, which are processing raw sugar from sugar cane and processing refined sugar from raw sugar. Cane extracts contain undesirable amounts of polysaccharides, sucrose, proteins, starches, lignin, and colloidal impurities. These elements contribute to the sugar color, the crystalline product, and thus reduce the product yield. The sugar industries must improve their strategies to increase efficiency in the production process. Sugar is one of the essential products in most households in Canada (Caldas & Santos, 2015). Therefore, the condition makes the sugar industries very relevant, demanding for a need to maintain their sustainability. Energy, natural resources, and environmental impacts are some of the critical factors that influence the durability of these industries. In this regard, it is essential to analyze the environmental factors resulting in the production of sugar using the Life Cycle Assessment. LCA is a crucial tool in analyzing the sugar process from its cradle to its grave. Also, the technique is a useful estimation of energy usage as well as the environmental load of the resulting product. The paper aims to explore the elements of sugar using the Life Cycle Assessment. Since sugar production is a tedious process, the sugar industries should pay the cane farmers reasonable wages to motivate them so that they can increase production.

Components of the Sugar Chain

According to Sandhu (2017), 40% of Canadians households consume sugar. Sugar production involves a series of processes that include gathering sugarcane, processing sugarcane into raw sugar and refined sugar, marketing, and distributing the product to the consumers.

Gathering of Sugar cane

Sugar products are produced from sugarcane crops, which mainly grow in tropical environments. Also, sugar can be produced from other products such as beet, corn, cassava, and corn. However, in most of the countries, sugarcane is the primary raw material in the production of sugar sue to its benefits. Some of these reasons are cost, the rate of sugar production, the percentage of sucrose available, and the environmental aspects. The internodes of the cane plant are tall and rich in sucrose content. Commercial sugarcane farmers plant hybrid sugarcane that takes short of about 9-24 months to mature (McCord, 2018). The sugarcane then ripens within three months when the stalk dries, thus accelerating the synthesis and storage of sugar. Commercial farmers use the cane harvester to harvest their canes. They cut the full stems into small sections, which are around 30 cm. Sugarcane hauls out follows and collects the billets. The process of gathering sugarcane is very tedious. Sugarcane farmers usually get tired during the entire cycle of sugarcane production, from planting to harvesting. Also, sugarcane takes a long time to grow, and thus it’s not a reliable source of income for farmers. Besides, the sugar firms buy the canes at low prices. The act discourages the cane farmers. According to McCord (2018), the production of sugarcane decreased by two percent in 2019 compared to 2017. Most of the cane farmers are abandoning the cane farming, which might pose a significant risk to the sugar industries.

Sugar Production

Sugarcane undergoes a series of processes in the industries before it becomes sugar.  Firstly, the sugarcane is cut into small pieces to enable the crushing and extraction of juice easier. Clarification of juice then follows, which removes most of the impurities such as soil and plant fiber. Boiling of the sugar-rich solution to a thick syrup then follows. The addition of seed sugar crystals follows, which allows the syrup to grow to large gems of raw sugar. Centrifuges are then used to separate the crystals of natural sugar from the syrup. Also, there is the refining of the remaining raw sugar crystal in the local refineries, which are later shipped to refinery warehouses (Sandhu, 2017). Major refineries in Canada are located in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The entire process of sugar processing is costly since it involves a series of operations. Also, there is a lot of wastes, and thus the production decreases. The methods increase the cost of sugar and, therefore, not affordable by most households.

Marketing and distributing of sugar

Marketing is one fundamental aspect of the market for modern organizations. Organizations that lack efficient marketing strategies are at risk of losing their competitive advantage in the competitive world. Most of the sugar industries implement effective marketing strategies due to the competition of the sugar industries. Some of the marketing strategies put in place by the sugar companies include deliveries, advertising, packaging, and branding. A lot of people have a negative attitude and perceptions of sugar. According to Comstock & Sood (2018).  to the consumption of large amounts of sugar affects one’s health. The fact that the health specialists caution people on the impact of sugar on their health makes people avoid sugar. These mixed reactions have an effect on the consumption rates of sugar. These reactions have made the production patterns of the companies to be unpredictable and thus, organizations making minimum profits.

Conclusion

Sugar is an essential element in human’s life (Comstock, & Sood, 2018). There is an extensive connection between the cane farmers, sugar industries, and the customers. Sugar industries should establish a good rapport between the farmers and the customers if they are to maintain a competitive position. The firms should purchase the canes at justifiable prices to increase the morale of the farmers so that they can increase production. Also, the firms should minimize their production costs to enable the cost-cutting measure possible. Reducing sugar prices will increase the number of customers who will purchase their products.

References

Caldas, C., & Santos, F. (2015). Quality Control in the Sugar and Ethanol Industries. Sugarcane, 275-284. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802239-9.00013-x

Comstock, J. C., & Sood, S. G. (2018). Integrated disease management strategies in sugarcane cultivation. Achieving sustainable cultivation of sugarcane Volume 2, 395-420. doi:10.19103/as.2017.0035.27

McCord, P. (2018). Advances in marker-assisted breeding of sugarcane. Achieving sustainable cultivation of sugarcane Volume 2, 109-132. doi:10.19103/as.2017.0035.06

Richard, C. (2017). Analyzing the processing quality of sugarcane. Achieving sustainable cultivation of sugarcane Volume 1, 253-276. doi:10.19103/as.2017.0035.29

Sandhu, H. S. (2017). Cultivating sugarcane for use in bioenergy applications: key issues. Achieving sustainable cultivation of sugarcane Volume 1, 235-250. doi:10.19103/as.2017.0035.18

White, P., & Johnson, R. (2017). Improving soil management in sugarcane cultivation. Achieving sustainable cultivation of sugarcane Volume 1, 97-109. doi:10.19103/as.2017.0035.11