Transparency Portal

Transparency Portal

Clarification Note

August 1, 2024

Clarification Note

June 14, 2023

Irregular
work?

DISCOVER OUR CODE OF ETHICS AND MANUAL OF GOOD PRACTICES FOR SUPPLIERS

Our Code of Ethics condemns the use of child labor and degrading or slave-like working conditions. Therefore, we do not maintain business relationships with suppliers of questionable reputation or those who engage in, or whose conduct is condemned by, our Code of Ethics.

To reinforce our commitment, we also created a booklet detailing suppliers' responsibilities.

Code of Ethics

Good Practices
UNDERSTAND THE CASE

Irregularities

The Coruripe Plant became aware of labor irregularities in the fields of one of its suppliers following an inspection by the Public Ministry of Labor.

Since 2010, an agreement has been in force with the Public Prosecutor's Office, according to which sugarcane producer associations would be responsible for inspecting working conditions on plantations.

Read the full agreement here.

Inspection

Following labor irregularities found by the Public Prosecutor's Office (MPT) in some producers' fields, a new agreement was signed on August 11, 2022, allowing Usina Coruripe to directly inspect its suppliers. Since then, we have been working to ensure compliance with the legislation.

Read the main topics of this agreement here.

Rights

Sugarcane harvesters are crucial players in any sugar industry's production process. They are responsible for the quality of the raw material that will be transformed into sugar or ethanol. Ensuring their rights is everyone's duty and responsibility.

Numbers

We have 8,300 employees across our five units and generate an additional 25,000 indirect jobs annually. We produce 500 million liters of ethanol, 20 million bags of sugar, and 700 megawatts of electricity annually. We are the largest sugarcane company in the Northeast region and the 7th largest in Brazil. Our success is the result of a collective effort that begins with sugarcane processing and ends with the end consumer.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CORURIPE PLANT

Under the agreement signed on July 2, 2010, the sugarcane producer associations Asforama and Canacampo were responsible for monitoring sugarcane producers' compliance with labor laws. Item 9.2 of this agreement explicitly states that "if the supplier fails to comply with the above obligation, they will be liable for the corresponding fine, without liability to the associations or the mill, without prejudice to any other applicable sanctions."

The Coruripe Mill had the right to refuse to do business with a supplier accused of violating the law, but it did not have the prerogative to conduct inspections of its suppliers.

Now, after the agreement signed on August 11 with the Public Ministry of Labor, the Coruripe Mill will be able to inspect its suppliers and ensure they are complying with labor laws.

TASK FORCE

The company has established a 'task force' to permanently monitor the properties of suppliers to its five production units. All are thoroughly inspected using a 72-item checklist (see here).

These include the facilities of housing, bathrooms, uniform conditions, machinery, drinking water, safety equipment for both individual and collective use, machinery, fire extinguishers, maintenance supplies, and tools. The Coruripe Mill also evaluates the first aid training provided to workers. After the inspection, a report is completed with a red flag indicating more serious problems and a yellow flag for moderately serious problems.

Under the new agreement, the Coruripe Mill can also recommend the suspension of activities in agricultural areas with irregularities until the problems are corrected.

OUR ESSENCE

With a century of operations, Usina Coruripe has always been guided by care and respect for its employees, customers, and the environment. The successful trajectory of our business, now a benchmark in the industry, is driven by the 8,000 professionals who work in a wide range of areas within the company: administrative, innovation, occupational safety, agriculture, science and research, among others.

Our mission is to produce sugar, ethanol, and energy safely and sustainably, prioritizing safety, quality, and sustainability.

At all times, valuing life is a philosophy the company never compromises. Nothing can override the integrity of our employees. The company is responsible for providing the resources necessary to ensure all tasks are performed safely. And the ongoing pursuit of an accident-free environment must be a priority for everyone working at the company, regardless of their position or role.

Zero Accidents Program

In 2013, the Coruripe group launched the Zero Accidents Forever Program with the goal of significantly reducing the number of lost-time accidents within the company. The idea was to establish a multidisciplinary effort—involving various company departments, directly or indirectly, in production—with the goal of promoting prevention, risk anticipation, control, and the adoption of all safety procedures.

Since then, Coruripe has recorded a 95% reduction in the number of lost-time accidents at its facilities. As a result, the plant won the Americas award in the Safety Innovation category of the 2020 DuPont Safety & Sustainability Awards. The award is one of the most important in the world and internationally recognizes companies with excellent programs and projects in the area of occupational safety that transform their own business, improving the market as a whole.

Our purpose is to deliver greater economic, social, and environmental value to shareholders, customers, employees, and partners. Therefore, in our daily operations, we think long-term and adopt ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria.

We also believe in the potential of the circular economy as part of the Company's strategic plan. As a result, we invest heavily in the adoption of sustainable practices and initiatives that increase profitability and operational efficiency.

In recent decades, the sugarcane production chain has changed its modus operandi, and to stay aligned with best market practices, we have adopted innovation as one of the pillars of our business. Therefore, we are always directing resources and efforts toward new technologies that can impact key areas of the company, with the aim of streamlining procedures, promoting safety, and increasing the company's competitive advantage.

In recent years, Usina Coruripe has adopted a people management policy aligned with its values: respecting human beings in any market situation, valuing life at all times, and acting ethically in its relationships with our stakeholders. Therefore, the group's actions are focused on reducing the number of accidents, fostering the physical and emotional well-being of employees, fostering gender equity policies, developing talent, and delivering results.

7,844

Employees at the end of the fiscal year

28

Interns and Apprentices

1,346

Outsourced Professionals
  • Monthly Safety and Health Awareness Programs

    Green April

    A campaign dedicated to raising awareness and preventing workplace accidents. The content aims to reinforce safe behaviors, informing the importance of using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

    Yellow May

    The initiative aims to raise awareness of drivers, pedestrians, and passengers about the importance of following traffic rules and laws. After all, the Coruripe group has important transportation activities and knows that the main way to reduce the number of accidents and ensure the well-being of everyone is through traffic education.

    Yellow September

    World Suicide Prevention Month. The campaign seeks to discuss the issue empathetically, reducing people's prejudices about mental health and encouraging them to seek medical help and/or psychological treatment not only for themselves but also for those around them who may need help.

    Pink October

    Breast Cancer Prevention Campaign that encourages women in the company to pay attention to one of the health issues that most affects Brazilian women.

    Orange November

    Hearing loss awareness campaign, reminding people that this is not only a health issue, but also a safety issue.

    Blue November

    Prostate cancer prevention campaign that seeks to combat male prejudice against a simple test that can detect the problem in its early stages.
  • Acolher Program and the Health of Our Employees
    Almost two years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we continued to follow the preventive measures established by the most authoritative authorities in the study of the disease, such as the World Health Organization. Throughout this difficult period, faced with a virus about which scientists still knew little, we distributed all the information that emerged as doctors and researchers released it to the public: virus prevention measures; encouragement of adherence to the vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus; tips on physical exercise during the Covid-19 pandemic.
    We remain steadfast in our safety protocols to ensure everyone's well-being. For this very reason, we invested even more in the physical and emotional health of our employees, with 24-hour healthcare support (by nurses and doctors) available 7 days a week by phone.
    To provide psychological support during the pandemic, marked by the loss of human life that has profoundly affected everyone's mental health, we created the Acolher Program, which offers daily psychological care and 24-hour healthcare support via telehealth services provided by psychologists. We also hold virtual meetings to discuss mental health and distribute informational materials on the topic.
  • Training Programs
    Developing competent professionals with all types of talent requires funding for training and educational programs. Coruripe adopts an aggressive strategy to retain its talent and promote high performance at the plant. These actions improve the company's creative and productive processes and ensure the safety of individuals with enriching and essential skills for the business.
    Our main tactics for developing people—which go far beyond conventional human resources programs—are:
    YOUTH AND ADULT EDUCATION
    SCHOLARSHIPS
    (50% OF WHICH ARE FOR WOMEN)
    QUALIFICATION SCHOLARSHIP
    YOUNG APPRENTICE
    INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
    SHARED LIBRARY
    JOB AND CAREER PLAN
    PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
  • Coruripe Gender Equity
    The Coruripe Mill has adopted a series of strategies aimed at increasing women's participation in the company, aware of the importance of fostering a work environment that provides conditions for the equal development of both genders.

    The first step was to strengthen its commitment to the cause with UN Women and the Global Compact by signing the Women's Empowerment Principles, which established seven lines of action:

    • Make corporate leadership – at its highest level – sensitive to gender equality;
    • Treat all women and men fairly at work, respecting and supporting human rights and non-discrimination;
    • Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men working in the company;
    • Promote education, training and professional development for women;
    • Support women's entrepreneurship and promote women's empowerment policies through supply chains and marketing;
    • Promote gender equality through community-based initiatives and social activism;
    • Measure, document, and publish the company's progress in promoting gender equality.
    But the efforts didn't stop there. Coruripe created the Women's Committee with the goal of discussing effective actions to promote gender equality within the company. The Committee is also responsible for promoting debates and seminars on topics such as female entrepreneurship, combating sexism, women in leadership, careers, and more.
    A talent pool entirely focused on hiring women was created, with a focus on industry, the laboratory, the field, and administrative positions. Another initiative is reserving 50% of scholarships for the group's female staff. All initiatives seek to promote the retention of female employees, encouraging them to occupy leadership positions within the company.

We derive our livelihood from the land, and for this reason, we understand that nature is, for Coruripe, our most precious asset.

Our business believes in sustainability as a value proposition. To achieve this, we invest in the distinctive feature of integrated management that combines economic, social, and environmental aspects.

Learn how we operate in each of these areas: