Water, Wildlife, & Climate
Pre-harvest sugarfield burning contributes to the following:
• Pollution of nearby waterways through the process of atmospheric deposition
• Acid rain
• Increased soil oxidation and erosion that contributes to increased nutrient pollution run off into surrounding waterways
• Increased soil subsidence
• Increased greenhouse gas emissions
• Wildlife caught in flames
• Depletion of soil nutrients and microbial life requiring the use of more chemical fertilizers
Go to Resources for links to research on environmental impacts.
Note: Pre-harvest sugar field burning should not be conflated with Florida’s important prescribed burning program that provides benefits to forest management and uses controlled burns to prevent wildfires. Pre-harvest sugar field burning is only carried out as a cost cutting measure for the benefit of the sugar industry, provides no intrinsic environmental benefit, and is harmful to the entire ecosystem.