Sixteen Sweet Facts About Sugar
It’s nearly the end of March and the college basketball playoffs are in full swing. Did your favorite team not make the playoffs? Is your bracket already busted?
Join the American Sugar Alliance on Instagram and Twitter for a truly sweet sixteen bracket challenge. Over the next several days, we’ll give you the opportunity to vote on some of your favorite sweet treats – made from sugar crops grown and refined right here in America. Crack open that Easter candy made with real sugar and check out our bracket below, as well as sixteen sweet reasons to support U.S. sugar policy.
With all the benefits of U.S. sugar policy, it’s madness that anyone would want to try to weaken or eliminate this critical component of the farm safety net.
Sixteen Sweet Reasons to Support U.S. Sugar Policy
Sugarcane is grass that can grow taller than a basketball hoop.
Sugarbeets are a root crop that can weigh 3-5 pounds at harvest. (That’s more than twice as much as a basketball.)
Sugar supports 151,000 good jobs.
Sugar supports union jobs in areas with otherwise limited job opportunities.
There are more than 11,000 family farmers who grow sugarbeets and sugarcane.
Most of America’s sugar crop farmers are multi-generational farm families.
Sugar drives an annual economic impact of $23.3 billion.
Sugar has a coast-to-coast reach to keep food manufacturers and consumers reliably supplied.
America’s sugar producers are among the most sustainable in the world.
U.S. sugar crop yields have increased an average 23% per acre over the past 20 years, while using less inputs.
86% of Americans say Congress needs to include provisions in the Farm Bill to support sugar producers.
Americans prefer purchasing American-made sugar over imported sugar by a margin of 8 to 1.
America is also the third largest importer of sugar – thanks to the flexibility of U.S. sugar policy!
The sugar supply in the U.S. exceeds demand by more than 3.4 billion pounds of sugar, according to the most recent USDA estimates.
We are proud to be Made in America…
…While supporting American farm families, sugar workers, food manufacturers, consumers, and our national food security!
