Mascobado sugar symbolizes the plight of marginalized sugarcane producers of Negros. It is the most widely known organic whole cane sugar in the Philippines. It is one of the major ingredients of Mascao, the finest Fair Trade Chocolate in Europe.

The shift from conventional to organic sugarcane production and the eventual Oganic Certification in 1995 allowed Alter Trade to expand the Mascobado markets in Europe, Asia and the US. Altertrade undergoes yearly inspection and certification by the Institute of Marketecology (IMO) and the Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO) according to international organic agriculture (Naturland, Bio Suisse, EU Reg. and USDA-NOP) and Fair Trade standards.