CARIBBEAN rum producers across eight countries are investing in renewable energy, water recovery, and waste-to-energy systems as the industry seeks to improve efficiency and reduce its exposure to climate, energy and resource risks.

The initiatives are detailed in the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers’ Association’s (WIRSPA) first Sustainability in the Caribbean Rum Industry Report, which brings together examples from Jamaica, Barbados, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The report provides a regional snapshot of how producers are incorporating sustainability into different stages of rum production, including energy use, water management, packaging, agriculture and the treatment of manufacturing by-products.

Projects highlighted include solar installations, biomass and biogas systems, water recycling and recovery technologies, emissions-reduction programmes and waste-to-energy initiatives.

Chairman of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers, Clement “Jimmy” Lawrence during his address to the audience at the cocktail receptionCevan Coore

Some producers are also converting by-products from the rum-making process into renewable energy and agricultural inputs, reducing waste while extracting additional value from materials that would otherwise be discarded.

WIRSPA said some companies featured in the report had achieved carbon-neutral or verified carbon-negative production, while others had reduced the amount of water and energy used in their operations.

However, the association did not provide an industry-wide investment total, the number of participating companies or aggregate figures showing the scale of reductions in water use, energy consumption or emissions.

For producers operating mainly in small island and developing states, the report argues that sustainability is becoming a business necessity as companies contend with energy insecurity, limited resources and growing climate-related risks.

“Sustainability is no longer an aspiration; it is embedded in how we think about growth, competitiveness and long-term viability,” WIRSPA Chairman Clement “Jimmy” Lawrence said.

Copies of WIRSPA’s first Sustainability in the Caribbean Rum Industry Report, which highlights renewable energy, water recovery, waste-to-energy, and other sustainability initiatives being pursued by rum producers across eight Caribbean countries. (Photo: Cevan Coore)

The report was launched during WIRSPA’s annual general meeting activities at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites in Kingston, with the Jamaican affiliate, the Spirits Pool Association Limited, participating in the programme.

Lawrence said the publication was intended both to document the progress already made and encourage greater cooperation among producers, governments and international partners.

“The strides already being made are significant, but they are only the beginning,” he said. “Through shared learning, regional cooperation and engagement with governments and international partners, we are accelerating progress and building a more resilient future for Caribbean rum.”

WIRSPA represents national rum producer associations in 15 Caricom countries and the Dominican Republic.