Collaborating for Change in Sugar Production: Building Blocks for Sustainability at Scale

Abstract

Among commodities, sugar is one of the most familiar, and yet one of the most complex. It can be produced from two distinct raw materials, sugarcane and sugar beet, which can be grown on small family farms and massive industrial plantations. It can be used for such dramatically different purposes as food and fuel. More than 100 million tons are consumed annually. Sugar production supports as many as 100 million livelihoods—and yet many of these people remain in poverty. Environmental issues to be managed range from intensive water use to greenhouse gas emissions. Sugar is also one of the most highly regulated agricultural commodities in the world, subject to measures such as guaranteed minimum producer prices, production quotas, import quotas and duties, export subsidies, limits on the production of alternative sweeteners, and even state ownership. Partly as a result, the sector is highly fragmented, with more than 1,600 enterprises operating more than 2,500 mills and refineries in more than 100 countries.