The Sugar Proposal: Promoting Sustainable National Economic Growth
For the past four decades, the sugar industry has made a significant economic contribution to the nation. A step further, the sugar industry is now playing a significant role in the sustainable growth of the nation, whether it is through the production of ethanol for environmentally friendly transportation or the use of bagasse to generate power. Due to the extensive sugarcane farming, the sugar sector has served as the face of Make in India and could become one of the largest ethanol producers in the world. India’s government and the sugar industry are working together to achieve the goal of mixing 20% ethanol into gasoline by 2025.
Co-products of Sugar and their Effects
All residues and co-products (bagasse, molasses, filter cakes, also known as press mud) are used throughout the sugar industry’s value chain as feedstock for other value-added goods like fuel, electricity, value-added chemicals, biodegradable cutlery, and are planned for use in a variety of other goods. This promotes sustainability by producing a range of bio-based products.
In order to produce green power (ethanol and electricity), which also lowers greenhouse gas emissions, as well as biofuels and chemicals from ethanol, resources are being used. In turn, this utilisation serves as an example of how a crop like sugarcane can be utilised to create a range of value goods used in a variety of applications. Green fuel made from sugarcane-based sources is an example of this paradigm, and the recent Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme of the Government of India, in which the sugar sector supplies a large share of the ethanol, shows that fossil fuels have an alternative.
The Financial Advantages
Because ethanol is produced locally from domestically grown crops, it promotes the nation’s energy independence and reduces its dependency on imported oil, saving the country valuable foreign currency.
Compressed biogas is one of the bio-energy products from the sugar industry, and it may help the nation become more energy independent. Co-products from the sugar sector, such as spent wash, filter cake, and press mud, could produce around 3% of the nation’s total potential for compressed biogas which is 2 million tonnes out of 62 million tonnes.
The Indian sugar industry also aims to improve resource efficiency, restore ecosystems, and strengthen rural communities in order to offer farmers long-term value. Research centres, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), and industry professionals all work hard to promote sustainable agricultural methods. To lessen the overall environmental impact, they frequently provide farmers with information on new sugarcane growing techniques, improved varieties, water management, biological control techniques, bio-fertilizers, mechanisation, marketing, and pre- and post-harvest management of goods.
Conclusion
The world’s marketplaces are undergoing change as there is a continuous effort to increase efficiency while pursuing sustainable growth. The need for all resources, including food, feed, and energy, has skyrocketed as a result. The majority of global demand is accounted for by Asian nations, including fast-growing economies like India, which is about to experience a significant uptick in growth. 83% of the oil we consume, which costs over Rs. 120 billion ($1.74 billion), is imported. The benefits of using biofuels include lessening the dependency on imported crude oil, improving the environment, giving farmers more money, and generating jobs in rural areas. The initiative supports the Indian government’s initiatives for Make in India, Swachh Bharat, and raising farmer income. So, The Sugar industry is an excellent example of a developing sustainable system with numerous prospects for self-sufficiency.
