From September 22 to 24, Uruguay welcomed participants from six countries across the region for the fourth edition of the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Sustainability Committee of The Association of Latin American Sugar Producers (UNALA). The working sessions took place in Salto and Bella Unión and brought together representatives from Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.
As host of this year’s meeting, ALUR (Alcoholes del Uruguay) welcomed the delegation with opening remarks by its President, Eng. Marcelo Sadres, and UNALA’s Executive Director, Luis Fernando Salazar Rosas. Throughout the meeting, participants addressed key issues on the regional agenda, including ALUR’s work across the sugarcane agroindustrial value chain, environmental management and circular economy practices, training programs for workers, sugarcane cutters, and producers, the results of the bioethanol Life Cycle Assessment, and progress in certification processes and sustainability reporting.
During the Committee meeting, participants reviewed the implementation of this year’s work plan and outlined actions and indicators for 2027. The delegation also toured the Bella Unión Agroindustrial Complex and visited farms belonging to producers involved in inclusion initiatives and the “Evoluciona” Program, gaining first-hand insight into the sustainable practices promoted by the company.
As part of the visit, the delegation laid a floral tribute at the “Ing. Humberto Graña” Healthy Space in Bella Unión in memory of Mr. Graña. The group then continued the visit with a tour of the walkway featuring 20 trees planted to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the start of ALUR’s operations.
The 2026 UNALA Sustainability Committee concluded the meeting by reaffirming the Latin American sugar agroindustry’s commitment to strengthening joint efforts on sustainability. Previous editions of this visit were held in Colombia in 2023, the Dominican Republic in 2024, and Guatemala in 2025. The 2027 edition is expected to be hosted by either Costa Rica or Brazil, with the final decision to be made during the last quarter of 2026.
