ABSTRACT
As the international community continues to embrace sustainability thinking in decisionmaking,
the sugarcane industry too has to adopt and operate within principles of sustainable
entrepreneurship. A key input in this evolving paradigm is application of Life Cycle
Management approach, whose focus is to determine sustainability concerns at all stages of a
product’s life cycle so as to attune business to economic viability, social responsibility and
environmental soundness. This study assessed the potential of Life Cycle Management in the
sugar industry focusing on Mumias Sugar Company. The study was aimed at evaluating the
management of impacts at sugar production, transport, processing and waste management.
Data were collected using focused group discussions, observation, key informant interviews
and laboratory analysis methods. The scope of the study was restricted to environmental
concerns. Data from Key informant interviews and focussed group discussions were
transcribed and analysed based on thematic areas. Results showed that, at the farm level,
continuous cropping, lack of adherence to contracts by the company and sugarcane fires were
identified as key factors affecting productivity. At the transport phase, poor state of feeder
roads and poor sugarcane stacking were responsible for significant sugarcane spillage losses
thus directly lowering the farmer’s income. At the sugar processing phase, high waste
generation evidenced by high values of Chemical Oxygen Demand (1430mg/l), Biological
Oxygen Demand (605mg/l), and Total Suspended Solids (347.5 mg/l) in the treated
wastewater from the factory compared to critical standard values (BOD maximum=30mg/l, COD
maximum=50mg/l, Total Suspended solids maximum =30mg/l). High levels of the above parameters
deprive aquatic plants and animals oxygen required for respiration. Also noted was high
water consumption levels (8640M3) with recycling putting pressure on the water source
(River Nzoia). High pollution levels of Nitrous oxide ,carbon monoxide(1,748,494 tonnes per
year) and carbon dioxide (2,747,527 tonnes/year) At the waste management phase, there was
limited utilization of molasses whereby it was only being used as an animal feed and
industrial use to produce denatured spirits. Opportunities for industrial symbiosis exist for
transforming molasses into bio-ethanol production which is used to blend petrol for use as
motor vehicle fuel with minimum tail emissions. Use of polythene bags for packaging retail
sugar adds to the plastic menace thus undermining best practices. Filter mud was used as a
soil conditioner without planned monitoring for heavy metals (Cadmium (10ppm) and Zinc
(8ppm)) although their levels were below critical levels but could in the long run bioaccumulate
thus affecting productivity. There was lack of declaration of impacts of inputs
used sugar production process providing a challenge on control of emissions at source.
Mumias Sugar Company needs to adopt sustainable procurement where all suppliers of inputs
are required to declare the environmental impacts of their products thus eliminating inputs
with high environmental emissions. There is need for monitoring of contractors on land
preparation, harvesting and transport so as to comply to set guidelines. Mumias Sugar
Company should also honour contracts signed with farmers to avoid losses due to late
harvesting. There is need for improvement of roads through the public private sector
partnership. Sugarcane loaders need to be sensitized to avoid over staking of cane that leads
to spillage. There is need for adoption of green procurement that will require declarations of all environmental impacts of all the inputs in the sugar production process.
MARABU, A (2021). The Potential Of Life Cycle Management For Sustainable Production Of Sugar At Mumias Sugar Company, Kenya. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/the-potential-of-life-cycle-management-for-sustainable-production-of-sugar-at-mumias-sugar-company-kenya
MARABU, ABRAHAM "The Potential Of Life Cycle Management For Sustainable Production Of Sugar At Mumias Sugar Company, Kenya" Afribary. Afribary, 26 May. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/the-potential-of-life-cycle-management-for-sustainable-production-of-sugar-at-mumias-sugar-company-kenya. Accessed 05 Oct. 2024.
MARABU, ABRAHAM . "The Potential Of Life Cycle Management For Sustainable Production Of Sugar At Mumias Sugar Company, Kenya". Afribary, Afribary, 26 May. 2021. Web. 05 Oct. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/the-potential-of-life-cycle-management-for-sustainable-production-of-sugar-at-mumias-sugar-company-kenya >.
MARABU, ABRAHAM . "The Potential Of Life Cycle Management For Sustainable Production Of Sugar At Mumias Sugar Company, Kenya" Afribary (2021). Accessed October 05, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/the-potential-of-life-cycle-management-for-sustainable-production-of-sugar-at-mumias-sugar-company-kenya