The Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP) is a multistakeholder organiza­tion established in 2007 to develop voluntary sustainability standards for the production of second generation, cellulosic biomass and its conversion to bioenergy. “CSBP has gener­ated broad, multistakeholder consensus guidelines for sustainability that will serve as the foundation for a certification program for sustainable biomass and bioenergy production. This effort will set the emerging cellulosic bioenergy industry on a course of continuous improvement with support from growers, all sectors of industry including refineries, and social and environmental interests” [36]. It is an institution based in the United States that includes as members U. S. industry, environmental, biophysical research institutions, such as the Energy Bioscience Institute at the University of Illinois and the Institute of Renew­able Natural Resources at Texas A&M University. Of the 20 CSBP members, only The Great Plains Institute addresses parts of social sustainability in its mission and has farm organizations as partners. CSBP has developed sustainability standards while the industry evolves, rather than retrofitting the industry to the standards.

CSBP has developed a biomass to bioenergy sustainability standard in two phases. The first is from field to energy production facility entry gate (biomass producer standard)’ the standard that was released on 12 June 2012. The second is for energy production facilities (biomass consumer standard). CSBP is working on an auditing and certification process. Of the nine principles, Principle 6 addresses social sustainability directly.

Socioeconomic Well-Being

CSBP embraces a tripartite vision of sustainability, focusing on practices and products that are environmentally, socially, and economically sound. This Principle speaks to the need for sustainable distribution of socioeconomic benefits to the various participants in biomass and bioenergy production systems. A sustainable commercial model benefits from the support of wealth creation in local communities.

PRINCIPLE 6: Biomass and bioenergy production take place within a framework that sustainably distributes overall socioeconomic opportunity for and among all stakeholders

(including land owners, farm workers, suppliers, biorefiners, and the local community), ensures compliance or improves upon all applicable federal and state labor and human rights laws, and provides for decent working conditions and terms of employment [37]. Specification of this principle mainly addresses labor relations.

Compliance with Labor Laws

Ensure that human rights and labor laws are respected in biomass production fields for both employees and contractor employees.

Fair Labor Standards Act

Participants demonstrate employee protection that is compliant with or exceeds the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and all other federal and state labor laws.

IMPLEMENTATION: Participants demonstrate employee protection concerning minimum wage and overtime pay; health, retirement, and leave benefits; equal opportunity hiring; safety and health in the workplace; fair youth employment; and union rights, among others, unless state law requires greater employee protection. Participants’ contracts with contractors or contracting agencies require they abide by or exceed the employee protection requirements stipulated in the FLSA and all other applicable federal and state labor laws.

Fair Treatment of Workers

All workers and contractors shall receive fair treatment.

Grievance Procedures

Participants with 10 or more full-time employees, including seasonal workers, have a management policy that provides a mechanism for employees to raise concerns, safety issues, or grievances without fear of termination or any other reprisal, and inform workers of the policy at the time of hire or adoption of the policy.

IMPLEMENTATION: Participants demonstrate a system for the operation that provides a platform for employee grievances without fear of reprisal. Participants’ contracts with contractors or contracting agencies require comparable grievance procedures.

Employment Contract

Participants provide workers with a written agreement describing the terms of hire.

IMPLEMENTATION: Participants demonstrate a written agreement (e. g. employment contract) regarding hiring, firing, working hours, and vacation time. Participants demon­strate compliance with local, state, and federal labor contract laws. Participants’ con­tracts with contractors or contracting agencies require written agreements describing terms of hire.

Workplace Improvements

Participants provide opportunities for employees to make suggestions for workplace improvements.

IMPLEMENTATION: Participants demonstrate a system to provide an opportunity for employee suggestions and a sample of suggestions in the previous year.

Freedom of Association

Participants respect the right of workers to associate freely in the workplace and, if desired, organize among themselves to negotiate working conditions.

IMPLEMENTATION: Verified through private interviews employers and/or employees, or written policies and procedures.

Environment, Health, and Safety

Participants ensure that biomass production activities are conducted in a manner that protects the health and safety of employees. Table 17.3 represents an assessment of social sustainability for the crops discussed in this volume. This is done based on general literature and is not a case-by-case examination on the ground.

Compliance with Laws and Regulations

Participants maintain and provide documentation of compliance with federal, state, and local occupational health and safety laws and regulations.

IMPLEMENTATION: Participants demonstrate compliance with OSHA and applicable federal, state, or local laws or regulations. Participants’ contracts with contractors or con­tracting agencies require compliance with OSHA and applicable federal and state health and safety laws.

Training

Participants and Participants’ contracting agencies maintain and provide documentation that employees are trained for health and safety in the workplace.

IMPLEMENTATION:

• All employees, including seasonal employees, receive health and safety information, in a language they understand.

• All full-time employees receive health and safety training and get updated training at least every five years.

• All employees using potentially dangerous chemicals and machinery have received appropriate training.

• Supervisors are trained in emergency procedures and all provided information about who to contact in case of emergency and location of emergency kits.

• Participants’ contracts with contractors or contracting agencies require comparable train­ing and documentation for workplace safety training.

Hazardous Materials Protection

Participants and Participants’ contracting agencies provide, and employees use, adequate protective clothing, appropriate safety equipment, and filtered air respirator systems and/or positive pressure cabs for workers handling highly toxic chemicals.

IMPLEMENTATION: Participants document the purchase of Hazardous Materials Protec­tion for employees or identify the location of the equipment on the premises evidence of

Table 17.3 Potential for selected social sustainability criteria for crops in this volume. Crop Potential for farmer displacement 1 = high 5 = low Fuel does not displace food Yes = 1 Never = 5 Inclusive of small and collective producers Never = 1 Always = 5 Potential to generate local enterprises None = 1 High = 5 Miscanthus 3 4 4 4 Propagation is labor intensive; custom harvesters Napier grass 2 Large-scale production 4 Leaves can be used for forage 2 3 Sorghums and other annuals 1 4 Not if grown in rotation 4 4 Corn stover 3 Corn monoculture contributes to land concentration 5 If the grain is used for feed or industrial food inputs 3 Since there are advantages to scale, it is not likely to be inclusive 3 Wheat straw 4 5 3 3 Eucalyptus 1 2 Can graze cattle on eucalypus plantations 2 3 Tree harvesting services Pine 4 If raised on plantations 4 Depends on if raised in plantations 4 4 Collecting and initial processing residue from sawmills Poplar Willow 2 If raised on plantations 2 If raised on plantations 3 3 3 Tree harvesting services Herbaceous crops 4 assuming not raised in plantations 3 Depends on what part of the crop baled 4 4 Sugarcane 2 If raised on plantations 4 Juice can be used for sugar, bagasse for biofuel 3 Small producers raise sugar cane in Mexico and Andean countries 3 Collecting and transporting the bagasse could be local Energy cane Woody crops 2 Lends to plantation cultivation 1 2 Requires high inputs and shifts in cultivation practices 2 Some harvesting and perhaps pre-processing Switch grass 4 Can be integrated into existing cropping systems on marginal land 4 Not if grown as conservation buffers 3 4 Value chain could be through decentralized platforms, with local units of production and processing delivering a high value product

worker education. Participants’ contracts with contractors or contracting agencies require comparable protective equipment and clothing for the use of hazardous materials.

Accidents and Injuries

Participants and Participants’ contracting agencies are prepared to handle injuries and chemical spills.

IMPLEMENTATION:

• Employees have access to well-stocked first aid kit at each work site.

• Employees are trained in emergency response procedures.

• Appropriate to the size of operation, procedures, materials, and training to address spills of hazardous materials are maintained.

Sanitation

Participants or Participants’ contracting agencies provide clean drinking water and sanitary services.

IMPLEMENTATION: Participants provide records that document employee access to san­itation devices and clean drinking water for employees. Participants’ contracts with con­tractors or contracting agencies have assurances to provide workers with clean drinking water and access to sanitation.

Insurance against Workplace Injury

Participants and Participants’ contracting agencies provide workers compensation for all full-time employees.

IMPLEMENTATION: Participants provide evidence of insurance policies documenting the purchase of insurance products to cover workplace injury situations. Participants’ contracts with contractors or contracting agencies require the purchase of workman’s compensation insurance [14-16, 37].

In addition, Principles 7 and 8 address the key social areas of legality and transparency and Principle 1 requires integrated resource management planning.