Sugar Producer

26 SUGAR PRODUCER | MARCH 2022 With the new year in full swing, we've already been out meeting with and talking to elected leaders, policymakers and other influential groups about the importance of America's no-cost sugar policy. In January, the American Sugar Alliance attended the American Farm Bureau Federation's (AFBF) annual convention in Atlanta, alongside several of our sugarbeet farmers. AFBF is the largest farm advocacy group in the country, and at the end of the conference, delegates voted to renew their support for a strong U.S. sugar policy that creates a level playing field Meeting the Challenge Keeping the market profitable for American sugar producers FROM THE ASA By Rob Johansson, Director of Economics and Policy Analysis for sugar producers while ensuring a safe, reliable and affordable supply of sugar for consumers. Hundreds of people attended this year's conference, and our sugarbeet farmers answered dozens of questions, ranging from, "What's the difference in beet and cane sugar?" to "What policies are most helpful to our sugar producers?" The number of frank and open conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing our sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers was a stark reminder that there is always education and outreach that needs to be done with decision-makers at the local, state and federal levels. That's why, this month, we are hosting sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers from across the country as they meet with lawmakers via Zoom. During these Capitol Hill "fly- in" meetings, as they are called, our farmers will meet with lawmakers, share stories and materials, and give them a firsthand account of the challenges that have faced family farms during the past year. Despite the fact that harvest for both beet and cane farmers was mostly positive, there were significant challenges with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather challenges, ranging from drought to hurricanes, that affected sugar production. Unpredictable weather is not the only challenge facing the sugar industry. The distorted nature of the global sugar market as currently it stands will never allow for fair competition. Farmers will tell lawmakers and their staff about how sugar is one of the world's most distorted commodity markets. There are more than 100 countries producing sugar, and most of the world's largest producers subsidize in some manner, whether through domestic price supports, export subsidies, or some combination thereof. America's no-cost sugar policy makes it possible for our farmers and processors to survive in such a challenging global market. And American sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers are essential to ensuring food manufacturers and American households have access to an affordable and reliable supply of high-quality sugar, all produced sustainably while meeting some of the world's highest safety, labor and environmental 4665-5DesertSunsetAg13s.indd 1 4665-5DesertSunsetAg13s.indd 1 11/30/21 1:54 PM 11/30/21 1:54 PM

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