SugarCane
The Impacts of the Sugar Cane Industry on the Great Barrier Reef
Australian Sugar Cane Production
History
Sugar cane was introduced to Australia in 1788, when the British First Fleet arrived to found the first European settlement on the continent. The settlers intended to create plantations for the valuable crop. Initial attempts to start a viable commercial sugar cane industry were unsuccessful, but attempts continued for many years. The first successful plantation was established in 1862, almost 75 years after the crop's introduction, and the first sugar mill was built two years later. [1]
Modern Industry
Today, sugar is one of the most important Australian crops. It is grown along the eastern coast of the continent, in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, and spans a range of roughly 2,100 kilometers of coastline. The nation exports around 80% of each year's sugar crop, making it the world's second largest exporter of raw sugar,[2] and the industry has an annual gross production value that exceeds $1 billion. [3]
While some sugar cane is grown in New South Wales, 95% of Australia's sugar production occurs in Queensland, the state bordering the Great Barrier Reef. While the sugar crop grown in New South Wales is mostly sold for domestic processing and use, almost all of the nation's exported sugar comes from Queensland.[2]
Impacts
- Runoff from sugar cane fields can be problematic
- Pesticides like diuron, atrazine, hexazinone, and ametryn (all herbicides) have been found to enter waters draining to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon from areas where sugar cane agriculture is one of the dominant land-use types. The concentration of many pesticides downstream from sugar cane production sites has also been found to exceed the maximum concentrations outlined by various water quality guidelines and standards.[4]
- The use of some of these pesticides has increased because of an expansion in the total land area devoted to sugar cane between 1977 and 1996.[5]
- These pesticides produce observable effects in many corals after a few hours of exposure at the level of 1ppb, but pesticide runoff can be on the order of hundreds of kilograms per runoff event (typically lasting 3-5 days) and reefs are essentially under chronic exposure.[4]
- Sugar cane production can also cause excess suspended sediment and nutrient loads in runoff.[4]
Mitigation Strategies/Solutions
- Australian Government’s Reef Rescue Program in Queensland:
- First phase of $200 million between government and farmers to reduce runoff from farms and improve water quality near coral reefs.[6]
- Under this program, farmers have created artificial wetlands in the middle of sugarcane fields, which traps runoff.[6]
- Other initiatives: Underground Trickle Tape Irrigation, which allows plants to be given a more measured amount of water.[6]
- More ability to capture and reuse runoff water
- Sugar Industry Reform Program (SIRP) 2004.[7]
- promotes a long-term reform of the sugarcane industry, economically, socially and environmentally.[7]
- 335 million allocated to things like business planning, sustainability grants and retraining.[7]
- Regional Advisory Groups: help promote local reforms and helping to identify key problems/solutions within each region.[7]
- Project Catalyst
- Game Changer: funded by the Australian's government Reef Program.[9]
- aims at reducing ecological footprint of sugarcane production on quality of freshwater by reducing amount of nitrogen and herbicides in runoff. [9]
- Many different types of groups are involved, from family farms to large enterprises, regular meetings and events to bring farmers together. [9]
- One example of a solution from this initiative is using soil mapping to identify zones of sugarcane plantations that can be managed differently, so some areas don’t need as much fertilizer as others. [9]
- Has reduced the need for fertilizers in different areas. [9]
Outcomes
- Solutions such as Underground Trickle Tape Irrigation hasn't had an impact on profit or productivity.[6]
- good farming practices increase each year
- Many people involved in the Game Changer program--large enterprises, small and large farms.[9]
References
- ↑ The History of the Sugar Industry. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sugarmuseum.com.au/the-history-of-the-sugar-industry/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sugar. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/crops/sugar
- ↑ About Australian crop industries. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/crops/about-crops
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lewis, S. E., Brodie, J. E., Bainbridge, Z. T., Rohde, K. W., Davis, A. M., Masters, B. L., Maughan, M., et al. (2009). Herbicides: A new threat to the Great Barrier Reef. Environmental Pollution, 157(8-9), 2470–2484. doi:doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2009.03.006
- ↑ Johnson, A. K. L., and Ebert, S. P. (2000). Quantifying inputs of pesticides to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park – a case study in the Herbert River catchment of north-east Queensland. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 41(7-12), 302–309
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Sweet methods: Queensland sugar cane growers reducing water run-off". (2013). Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-14/sugar-cane-north-queensland-water-run-off/4754822
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Sugar". (nd). Retrieved from http://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/crops/sugar#sugar-industry-assistance-and-reform
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Project Catalyst". (nd). Retrieved from http://www.wwf.org.au/about_us/working_with_business/project_sponsorships/project_catalyst/
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 "Innovations in sugar cane farming Case study". (nd). Retrieved from http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/gbr/case-studies/sugar-cane-farming