The Impact of Bonsucro on Human Rights in the Sugarcane Sector

This report was commissioned by Bonsucro and is based upon field research conducted by the Business and Human Rights Clinic at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University, between September 2018 and August 2019. As a member of the ISEAL Alliance, a standard-setting body for sustainability initiatives, Bonsucro is required to secure an independent impact evaluation every five years. With full leeway to determine the scope and design of research, the Business and Human Rights Clinic was tasked to evaluate the human rights impact of the Bonsucro Production Standard. The student team decided to focus on its activities in a specific country, since impact is context dependent, and selected India for the case study.