A Sweet Time at the 40th Sugar Symposium
Earlier this month, farm leaders from the sugar industry gathered with policymakers at the 40th International Sweetener Symposium. The conversations at the Symposium focused on the need to support American farmers and workers as they continue to face the challenges associated with raising a crop and processing it into sugar.
We were grateful to hear from key leaders in the Trump administration, including Stephen Vaden, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Dr. Nancy Beck, Principal Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They shared how the White House, USDA, and EPA are promoting policies to defend American farmers and ensure they have the tools they need to continue feeding America.
Sugar Industry Earns Bipartisan Support
Additionally, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle came together to reiterate that supporting American farm production remains a national priority.
In the ever-shifting global landscape, sugarbeet and sugarcane growers are more than farmers, they’re a key part of protecting America’s food independence. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI-02) and Luther Markwart of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association (ASGA) discussed the long-term risks of being overly reliant on other countries for essential foods like sugar.
American Farmers on the Airwaves
Clint Hagen, a sugarbeet farmer and shareholder for Michigan Sugar Company, and Patrick Frischhertz, a sugarcane farmer from Louisiana, were delighted to join RFD-TV from the Symposium to discuss the state of the farm economy, the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill on U.S. sugar policy, and this year’s crop outlook. Watch by clicking the image above or by clicking here.
Across the country, beet and cane sugar production generates $23.3 billion in annual economic impact and provides all Americans with an essential ingredient. We are grateful to all of the farmers, growers, lawmakers and policy leaders who joined us for the Symposium.
Explore More from the Symposium
You can check out some of the highlights from the Symposium by searching #Sugar2025 on X/Twitter and Instagram.
Read more from Dr. Rob Johansson in The Wall Street Journal on why there’s not a sugar supply problem, but instead a markup problem, and why offshoring our sugar supply would put American family farmers out of business and jeopardize our food security.
