Social and Environmental Responsibility

Our businesses are connected to a new type of energy

We add social and environmental benefits to the biofuel production chain and help expand Brazil’s contribution to the global effort in the fight climate change, increasing the supply of renewable energy sources.

The monitoring of environmental aspects in our direct operations is complemented by proactive actions and partnerships with suppliers and customers, all of which help promote the expansion of positive impacts across the production chain.

These actions are governed by our Social and Environmental Responsibility Policy in the Supply Chain and Sales Channels, with guidelines on how to assess and monitor social and environmental impacts on agribusiness.

Responsibility in the value chain

Our commitment to sustainability encompasses building ethical and responsible relationships with suppliers and customers involved in agribusiness. In addition to specific socio-environmental management aspects, we demand full alignment from suppliers and customers with our corporate values and our Code of Ethics and Conduct, as well as complete respect for human rights, including a commitment to actions to combat child labor and forced labor.

Aiming to achieve the highest level of environmental efficiency and to develop excellent management of natural resources, FS and the Stichting and Green Fund (“&Green”) have entered into a partnership with FS, with the goal of strengthening the deforestation-free corn supply chain in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, driving the transformation of land use practices in the region. Click here to read FS’s statement regarding their NDPE (No Deforestation, No Peat, and No Exploitation) Policy.

Circular economy

We are focused on promoting economic development through better use of natural resources, optimization of processes, reuse of water and effluents, and recycling of materials.

Water and effluents

We collect groundwater to be used in cooling towers, boilers, and to supply water to our offices. We also have artesian wells granted by the state authority responsible for the Lucas do Rio Verde and Sorriso units. The volumes collected are monitored and water samples are taken from the wells for analysis at intervals that range from one month to one year, according to applicable regulations.

Our objective is to continue to develop innovations and invest in solutions that improve our environmental performance. Our industries already operate with closed circuit systems, which reuse water in the production process, therefore enhancements to the system can help reduce collection requirements.

Our effluents are essentially domestic and derive from discharges from boilers and cooling towers.

Waste

Our production process does not generate a significant amount of waste. Our fiber removal technology allows us the entire extraction of corn grains for ethanol and animal nutrition products (DDGs and corn oil).

The ash generated from biomass burning is the main waste material that we do not use. But after a composting process, this type of waste has high potential for reuse in the agribusiness industry, as its nutrients contribute to soil fertilization and can replace part of inputs that come from mineral sources.

Other types of waste generated in our activities, such as plastic, metal and paper packaging, are all sent for recycling. Disposals are carried out by duly licensed companies, and we monitor the certificates issued for recycled and/or disposed materials on a monthly basis.

Climate Changes

This is a global challenge and countries have mobilized themselves to reduce, mitigate and replace greenhouse gas emissions that have a devastating effect on the earth’s climate.

Here at FS, we understand we play an important role in this mobilization, including the supply of renewable energy and producing animal nutrition products originating from a supply chain that is free of deforestation.

We contribute to the national decarbonization program through our Renovabio certification, therefore avoiding greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil fuel with ethanol. We provide renewable energy that is co-generated with biomass and our energy sources are certified by iRec.

Our operations, combined with responsible socio-environmental actions, contribute to an increasingly cleaner energy matrix in Brazil. And, to further contribute with the low carbon economy, we are developing a carbon capture project through an ethanol fermentation plant that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Education and development of our communities

The expansion of our Company and implementation of new industries in the countryside region of the state of Mato Grosso generates positive social impacts. The opening of new job positions, both directly and indirectly, contributes to the local economy and creates opportunities for local development.

Social responsibility through dialogue

In 2021, we made important efforts to structure FS’ social action strategy. As a result of the dialogues with communities, and listening to their demands, we created our Social Investment Policy. The objective was to understand what local communities need, focusing on the population surrounding our industrial units, and connecting them to the identity, purpose and expertise of our business, that is, connecting what is important for these communities with what is important for FS.

Through this effort, we identified the main pillars and focus points for the Company’s activities on the topic:

Knowledge
Inclusion
Income generation

Click here to access our Social Investment Policy.

Capacita FS

Our objective is to increase employability for the local community and for this we developed a professional training project focused on the industrial and technical aspects of the corn ethanol sector, including the maintenance of machinery and equipment.

Capacita FS creates opportunities for local communities, generating income in the municipalities where we operate. The corn ethanol sector is expanding in Mato Grosso, including the installation of other companies. Through our project, we help insert the local population into a new professional segment, connected to the reality of the agribusiness in the region.

Watch the project’s video.