News

23 April 2019

AB Sugar publishes global sourcing map for sugar products; a first for the sugar industry

AB Sugar today publishes its global sourcing map, an interactive platform conveying all regions where the business grows sugar beet or sugar cane, sources sugar and exports its sugar products to.

In what is believed to be the first map of its kind within the sugar industry, AB Sugar hopes to unlock transparency within sugar supply chains worldwide with this initiative.

Mats Liljestam, AB Sugar’s Commercial Director comments: “Our new global sourcing map allows our customers, consumers and stakeholders to explore our diverse supply chains from field to fork. We recognise that transparency in operations is an increasingly important part of business today and informs our decision choices. We trust this map helps to further support these decisions and reaffirms our place as supplier of choice to our customers.”

Katharine Teague, AB Sugar’s Head of Advocacy comments: “Our decision to publish this information as part of our sourcing map falls within the work we are undertaking around supply chain transparency. We know that those we work with and connect to care about how we do business, how we work with growers in our countries of operation, how we process our raw materials and how we transport our sugar products around the world. Through publishing this information and as the first sugar business we believe to do so; we hope to be able to demonstrate our credentials in terms of producing products that are traceable, sustainable and safe.”

Following the launch of its 2030 sustainability commitments in April 2018 under the ‘Global Mind, Local Champions’ sustainability framework, the business has seen an uptake in interest to collaborate with like-minded partner organisations to work on mutual goals together. It is with this in mind, that the map was also produced.

Katharine continues: “We recognise that to achieve our commitments, we will need to work together with those around us. Being transparent about our supply chain footprint will enable us to look at ways that we can work together with like-minded partners to achieve not only our own commitments but those of the partners too.”

The information within the map will be checked and updated bi-annually unless otherwise required. At this stage the map only contains information relating to its sugar activity, but in the future additional information will be added for example demonstrating how and where we source packaging and well as the journey of our co-products from the sugar making process.