U.S. Sugar Policy Supports American Jobs & Strong Communities

/in /by

America’s no-cost sugar policy supports well-paying jobs and provides economic opportunities for our communities. In fact, the sugar industry generates 142,000 jobs across the country and adds $20 billion to the U.S. economy.

Sugar companies pay fair wages and offer good benefits, providing opportunities in communities where jobs can otherwise be limited. Our industry takes pride in fostering a skilled workforce. Whether it’s partnering with community colleges to develop educational opportunities or providing tuition reimbursement, additional training and technical classes, the sugar industry is continually encouraging growth and career advancement.

 

The skilled employees who help produce high-quality American sugar are an integral part of our industry. The American Sugar Alliance recently traveled to Minnesota to hear from sugar company employees on-the-ground about the steps our industry is taking to create a sustainable workforce.

Kelly Moorhart, a safety specialist at American Crystal Sugar Company, made incredible advancements in her career thanks to the company’s tuition reimbursement program. “They invested so much in me, and so early on in my career… I really do appreciate the fact that American Crystal Sugar invests so much in their employees,” said Moorhart.

American Crystal Sugar Company also partners with Minnesota State Community and Technical College to develop employee maintenance skills. This success of this partnership has been recognized by the American Association of Community Colleges as a finalist for their 2020 Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership Award of Excellence.

Elsewhere in the factory, Technical Training Lead, John Wagar, helps lead the Process Technician program. This training program provides a clear career path and the necessary on-the-job training to ensure long-term employee success.

All American Crystal Sugar Company employees are members of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union. In fact, 100 percent of beet sugar processors employ union labor, as do most cane refineries.

Outside of the factory, sugar companies and employees are active within our neighborhoods and engage with local leaders to help foster more sustainable communities.

Thanks in part to U.S. Sugar, thousands of students in Florida started school in August 2019 with brand-new backpacks filled with the supplies they would need for a successful year. Brannan Thomas, U.S. Sugar’s Community Relations Manager and a native of Belle Glade, helped lead this project and has spearheaded countless other initiatives to support youth programs, schools and other charities in the area.

“The support of the sugar industries in South Central Florida create sustainable communities, and I am proud to be a part of that,” Thomas said.

Wylie Wisnewski, a teacher at Red River Area Learning Center, did not have the resources he needed to create an engaging project-based learning environment. Through the American Crystal Sugar Company Community Roots program, Wisnewski and his classroom received two STEM Grants to ensure students had the resources they needed.

The American sugar industry does more than just produce affordable homegrown sugar. We invest countless volunteer hours and significant financial resources into our employees, schools and communities.

People lie at the heart of our industry, and we are proud to help empower our workforce and create a more inclusive and sustainable society.

New Survey: Americans Get Great Deal on Sugar, Support Sugar Farmers

/in /by

Sugar farmers from across the country are headed to Capitol Hill today to defend America’s no-cost sugar policy, armed with brand-new data finding consumers believe American-made sugar to be affordable.

Although consumers in other developed countries pay about the same as U.S. shoppers for sugar, critics of U.S. sugar policy continue to perpetuate the myth that supporting American farmers makes sugar too expensive, but their flawed messaging does not resonate with consumers. According to a new survey of consumers, 63 percent of Americans believe sugar is not expensive at all or the right price – fewer than two in 10 consumers believe that sugar is priced too high.

In fact, the survey found that the average consumer believes that sugar producers receive one dollar for every pound of sugar they produce. In reality, that number is significantly lower, with wholesale prices averaging 36 cents for a pound of refined sugar in 2019. Sugar farmers only receive approximately half of that 36 cents, from which they must deduct substantial expenses for producing the crop.

“America’s farmers are proud to grow the sugar crops that help feed our nation,” said Dan Younggren, a sugarbeet farmer from Hallock, Minnesota and president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. “U.S. sugar policy is a win for taxpayers, too, as it’s designed to cost nothing. After last year’s disastrous crop, it’s not easy leaving the farm as we are busy preparing for spring planting, but it’s important that we take this message directly to Congress.”

In addition, a majority of Americans are stunned to learn that sugar producers see only a small share of the cost of sugar-sweetened products. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed found it surprising that sugar prices account for just two cents of the cost of a $1 chocolate bar, a favorite American treat.

These data bolster the message farmers are taking to lawmakers this week: America’s no-cost sugar policy ensures that consumers and manufacturers alike have a reliable supply of affordable, high-quality and sustainably produced American-made sugar.

“My family works hard to grow sugarcane, investing long days and incredible expense to supply America with a sweet supply of sugar at a fair price,” said Stephen Simoneaux, a sugarcane farmer from Louisiana, who is participating in congressional meetings this week. “We’ve been farming sugarcane for several generations, and I would like my children to continue this legacy. But if farm policy critics are successful in destroying America’s no-cost sugar policy and opening our markets to a flood of subsidized foreign sugar, our farm will not survive.”

The survey also found that 67 percent of Americans prefer to buy homegrown American sugar and support our farmers, even if that sugar were to cost slightly more than imported sugar. American-made sugar is grown by family famers across the United States, processed by skilled workers and distributed quickly to consumers and manufacturers.

All told, the U.S. sugar industry generates 142,000 jobs across more than 20 states. And because American sugar is produced using some of the most stringent environmental and labor practices, it’s a sustainable alternative to subsidized foreign sugar.

This comprehensive nationwide survey of American consumers was conducted January 29-31. Review full survey results here.