Sweetener Users and Sugar Producers Join in Support of Strengthened Sugar Policy

August 8, 2024

Sugar is a vital ingredient in our national food supply, and U.S. farmers, workers, and food manufacturers support the sugar policy provisions in the bipartisan Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. Randy Green, speaking on behalf of the Sweetener Users Association (SUA) at the American Sugar Alliance’s (ASA) 39th International Sweetener Symposium, called the bill “responsive and positive” and would result in more American-made sugar.

“The Users view [the bill] as a pretty balanced package. It seems to us that the committees have been responsive to both the needs of both growers and users,” Green said. “From our members’ standpoint, we want a prosperous domestic sugar industry. That’s good for us, and good for you.”

ASA continues to assert that a strengthened sugar policy would better reflect the current economic realities affecting sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers and workers. That is vital to ensuring that American farmers and workers can continue to grow and refine the sugar crops that supply American food manufacturers. The SUA agrees.

Both the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, passed out of the House Agriculture Committee earlier this year, and the Senate Farm Bill proposals include provisions that will provide additional financial security to sugar producers as well as implement technical updates to provide more sugar to the market earlier in the year.

“Growing the food we eat has become significantly more expensive. The commonsense improvements to sugar policy put forward by both the House and Senate better reflect the economic realities of planting, cultivating, harvesting, and refining sugarbeets and sugarcane. That will ensure our farmers and workers can continue providing SUA members with American-made sugar, while lessening our dependence on foreign countries for this essential ingredient,” said Rob Johansson, ASA’s Director of Economics and Policy Analysis.

Domestic sugar production fulfills about 75% of America’s sugar needs. Together with imports from more than 70 countries, America always has access to affordable sugar. However, both Green and Barbara Fecso, who manages the U.S. sugar program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), pointed to the challenges presented this year by an ongoing supply shortage from Mexico.

“Current market demands, in conjunction with low tariffs that have not risen with inflation for nearly 30 years, have led to additional sugar entering the U.S. market from the world market,” explained Johansson. “This demonstrates the flexibility of U.S. sugar policy. USDA has administered U.S. sugar policy in a way that ensures the market is adequately supplied with sugar and the global market has supplied more when needed.”

Source: American Sugar Alliance