REPORT WRITING;
You are cycling along a road near a sugar cane processing plant and as you approach an intersection you see a tourist’s hired car collide with a large lorry from the factory.
The police want a clear picture of what happened.
• What was the position of vehicles?
• How much damage had been done?
• Was anyone hurt?
• What was done to assist the people involved?
• From what you saw, who was to blame?
• Can you make any suggestions to prevent accidents at this spot
Answers
Answer:n our world today, and to an ever-increasing extent in the years to come, no product sold on the market can be developed without taking into considerations its impact on the environment. This statement is particularly valid for a food product such as sugar, given the rising interest and expansion of markets for natural and organic products obtained through procedures, both in the agricultural and industrial stages, in which the use of chemicals and damage to the local and global environment are avoided or reduced to a minimum.
Amidst the tense, controversial discussions taking place at present within the so-called Millennium Round, its agricultural negotiations and the issue of whether to include environmental matters in these talks, cane sugar producers have many advantages to offer and arguments to show the superiority of cane as a raw material for food and energy production; as opposed to other raw materials for sugar or substitute sweetener production such as corn and sugar beets.
The aim of this paper is to attempt to present a brief summary of the potential of sugar cane as regards the environment as well as to discuss the current status of environmental legislation in effect in countries in the Latin American and Caribbean Region.
Cane Agriculture
The various cane varieties cultivated for commercial purposes world-wide are species or hybrids of the Saccharum genus, which in turn belongs to the grass family. Its geographical origin remains a controversial subject, but in general it is acknowledged that it originated in the South Pacific region, Java and New Guinea, and subsequently spread out from there.
One of the outstanding features of sugar cane is, among others, its extraordinary capacity for growth. It is not unusual to find agricultural yields exceeding 100 tons per hectare annually on commercial acreages. Its genetic potential is much greater. When varieties are selected and agrotechnical handling are carried on, with the objective of maximizing biomass production, it is possible to obtain yields as high as 300 t/ha and even exceeding this volume. Theoretical potential of up to 400 t/ha is estimated. This high productivity rate is the result of a high photosynthetic efficiency, compared to other commercial crops, which permits an increased utilization of solar energy and, consequently, a higher coefficient for fixing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Further, cane agriculture can be practised with a minimum consumption of chemical products and highly compatible with the environment and soil conservation. An issue of the utmost importance, from an ecological as well as economic standpoint, is the harvest of green cane; that is, without previous burning the foliage for harvest. Harvesting green cane is a widespread practice that has been used for many years in Cuba, and which has been gradually extended to other countries such as Australia and Brazil. The issue is not only the pollution problems generated during burning, but most important, improved soil fertility conservation, lower consumption of herbicides and the possibility of using part of the residues as fuel, animal feed or raw material.
Further, the use of fertilizers can be reduced significantly, and in some cases even eliminated, under advantageous economic conditions (4). Noteworthy examples of alternatives that contribute to reducing input of chemical fertilizers, include those recycling in the field the wastes and residues of the industry such as filter mud, and the liquid effluents as irrigation water.
In Cuba, it has been a widespread practice for many years to use residuals in cane irrigation, a practice referred to as ferti-irrigation. Likewise, irrigation of cane fields with the vinasse obtained as a waste from alcohol distilleries is a generalized practice in Brazil. These practices, handled with adequate control, not only solve the problem of how to dispose of liquid wastes but also make an important contribution of both the organic and mineral materials required by the soil. Both filter mud and agricultural crop wastes may be improved considerably with regard to their value as fertilizer through relatively simple compost processes, whereby ashes from bagasse furnaces and other elements contributing phosphorous and potassium – of great importance to the crop -- are added. The application of minimum tilling methods or localized tilling in cane acreages has been another element of significant economic importance and contribution to improved soil conservation. Several specially-designed alternatives or techniques have been used on a widespread basis in the various types of soils, with highly beneficial results.
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