Environmental impacts of sugarcane production, processing and management: a chemists perspective

Abstract

Sustainable sugarcane production and processing requires intensification of benefits and minimization of both short term and long term loses. Identification of long term loses/benefits from sugarcane production and processing is a difficult venture that entails critical scientific analysis based on collected scientific data, historical events and laboratory experiments. Moreover, most companies do not invest in research activities geared towards identifying critical long term loses or benefits. The long term effects of agronomic activities in sugarcane farming are herein discussed. Disposal of processed and unprocessed wastes from sugarcane production and processing activities are also discussed with various possible technical solutions and scientific techniques of effectively generating profits from such wastes summarized. It is hoped that the diverse green technologies of sugarcane production and processing explored herein can be of significant contribution to the management of this vital sector of the economy.