Keeping It Sweet in Seattle

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The urgent need to pass a five-year Farm Bill took center stage at the 39th International Sweetener Symposium in Seattle earlier this month, where farm leaders from the sugar industry gathered with lawmakers and policymakers to review the legislative and economic landscape.

With the Farm Bill extension scheduled to expire in the coming weeks, this year’s discussions were timely, and the key takeaway was clear: there is unity and momentum from both farm country and Capitol Hill for a Farm Bill that includes a strong U.S. sugar policy to support sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers and more than 151,000 American jobs.

A bipartisan show of support. Even in the height of an election year, the Symposium featured lawmakers on both sides of the aisle voicing unwavering support for the sugar industry and a strengthened safety net as they committed to advancing the Farm Bill. From House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders… 

  • “[The bipartisan Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024] will give renewed strength to the farm safety net, just as producers need it most.” – Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee
  • “My Farm Bill proposal, the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, helps sugar growers by improving loan rates and making other important changes to the sugar program.” – Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee
  • “Our framework strengthens and protects sugar policy for growers, and we facilitate the movement of more domestic sugar into the marketplace for those who use it.” – Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee
  • “Sugar is so important. We can do without a lot of things, but the one thing we cannot do without is sugar.” – Rep. David Scott (D-GA-13), Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee

…to key lawmakers who hail from the Pacific Northwest. 

  • “Together, we can ensure the Farm Bill remains a pillar of support for our producers, helping them to thrive for generations to come.” – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05)
  • “I know that passing a comprehensive Farm Bill is of the utmost importance to our farm economy.” – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04)
  • “Many of these jobs and investments are in rural communities, and I certainly am committed to strengthening these communities through the investments that we make through infrastructure, our roads and bridges and highways and ports.” – Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA-02), Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Sweetener users and sugar producers team up. Speaking on behalf of the Sweetener Users Association (SUA), Randy Green called the Farm Bill under consideration in the House “responsive and positive,” saying it would result in more American-made sugar.

  • “The Users view [the bill] as a pretty balanced package. It seems to us that the committees have been responsive to both the needs of both growers and users. From our members’ standpoint, we want a prosperous domestic sugar industry. That’s good for us, and good for you.” 

Dr. Rob Johansson, ASA’s director of economics and policy analysis agreed, saying that improvements to sugar policy “will ensure our farmers and workers can continue providing SUA members with American-made sugar, while lessening our dependence on foreign countries for this essential ingredient.”

“So important to the country.” Neil Rockstad, a fourth-generation sugarbeet farmer from Minnesota, and Keith Wedgworth, a fourth-generation sugarcane farmer from Florida, joined RFD-TV from Seattle to talk about the ongoing discussions. They highlighted the critical importance of the farm bill in ensuring stability amid inflationary pressures and rising operating costs.

  • As Neil said, “I think everybody can agree that domestically produced sugar and domestically produced food is so important to the country… It’s so critical that we get a legislative baseline we can take as producers to our lenders next year as we secure operating loans and have five years of certainty moving forward.”

Watch Neil and Keith’s interview, and check out more highlights from this year’s Symposium.