Reduction of gas emissions of the sugar factory

Manduvirá (Cooperativa Manduvirá Ltda.) is a sugarcane farmers’ cooperative located in Arroyos y Esteros (90 km from Asunción). The organisation was originally founded in 1975 by a group of teacher and smallholder farmers as savings and loans cooperative. In 1990 Manduvirá changed its statutory object and became an agricultural cooperative, which subsequently got Fairtrade certified (1999) and obtained the organic certification for the sugarcane (2004). As of 2005 Manduvirá started renting a sugar factory to produce and export directly the final product. In 2006 the coop started a complex process which led to the opening of Manduvirá’s own sugar factory in 2014.

Nowadays (2023) Manduvirá is grouping approx. 1000 small-holder farmers. The cooperative exports organic cane sugar to over 18 countries and today is the world’s largest Fairtrade-certified cooperative cultivating and processing its own sugar.

In 2021 Manduvirá conducted a study to measure its carbon footprint throughout the whole production and distribution process. The results were encouraging and showed that their plant’s gas emissions were significantly lower than the norm for conventional sugar manufacturers. Notably Manduvirá’s boiler is fueled with sugarcane residue, emitting less greenhouse gases than if it were fueled with firewood. Yet, the analysis identified the possibility to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions through the implementation of a wet gas scrubber.

The EFTA Climate Justice Fund will support the Coop to optimize the system: Manduvirá will acquire a portable flue gas analyzer and the sugar plant technicians will receive specific training on its usage. During 4 months, they will test different concentration levels of the scrubbing agent (caustic soda) to identify the optimal level which could maximize the capture of CO2 and the reduction of stack emissions.