Session II: International Sweetener Outlook

The world sugar market is undergoing a transition. The record-high surplus stocks of sugar last year have been trimmed considerably by a sharp decline in exportable production in Brazil and weather woes in Europe. India is poised to displace Brazil as the world’s largest sugar producer with back-to-back years of record cane-crop production. At the same time, world raw-sugar prices continue to climb back from a 10-year low set in August. What will happen next? Our panel will assess the current world situation and provide ideas and insight into the future direction of the market.

Moderator:
Ronald Lord, Director, Import Policies & Export Reporting Division, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Panelists:
Ben Fessler, Market Analyst, International Trade & Development, C. Czarnikow Sugar, Inc.
Robert Huff, Miami Regional Manager, Alvean
Leticia Phillips, North American Representative, Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association

Presentations:
Ben Fessler
Robert Huff
Leticia Phillips

 

Session III: The U.S. Economic Outlook

Some 10 years after the financial crisis plunged world economies into the Great Recession, the U.S. macroeconomy has regained much of its strength and resilience, with unemployment low and recent growth strong. However, the path forward is unclear, as trade policy and government shutdowns contribute to volatile markets and some but not all analysts see a recession possible in the not-too-distant future. The agricultural economy has seen pockets of persistent weakness, affecting not only some farmers but their suppliers, lenders and others as well, and has suffered collateral damage from ongoing trade disputes. Two financial experts will provide an overview of U.S. macroeconomic prospects and offer a forecast for the U.S. agricultural sector.

Moderator:
Rick Pasco, President, Sweetener Users Association

Panelists:
Kanlaya Barr, Senior Economist for the Americas, Deere & Company
Christian Lawrence, Senior Market Strategist, Rabobank

Presentations:
Kanlaya Barr
Christian Lawrence

 

Session IV: A Framework for Sustainability in Sugar & Insights from Other Regions

Numerous industry-wide discussions over recent years led stakeholders to develop a pre-competitive framework for on-farm sustainability for sugar grown in the United States. What steps are necessary now to advance the framework and further boost sugar sustainability efforts in the United States? Our panel of experts will examine approaches underway in other regions of the world, including the efforts of the Australian and Central American sugarcane and European Union sugar beets. Experiences in other countries will help guide efforts on sugar sustainability in our domestic market. This session will cover the full range of supply-chain sustainability issues faced by end users, refiners, mills and growers, and offer insights on how best to address these challenges.

Moderator:
Kevin Ogorzalek, Manager of Sustainability Sourcing – Americas, Barry Callebaut

Panelists:
Dr. Claudia Asensio, Sustainability & New Products Manager, Pantaleon Group
Dan Galligan, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Canegrowers
Pat Laubacher, Vice President of Agriculture, The Amalgamated Sugar Company LLC, Representative for National Sugar Marketing LLC

Presentations:
Claudia Asensio
Dan Galligan
Pat Laubacher
Kevin Ogorzalek

 

Session VIII: Sugar Program Administration

The U.S. sugar program interacts with the U.S.-Mexico suspension agreements to influence supply and demand for sugar. How well is this unusual policy mix working? Is it stable and sustainable? The panel will discuss U.S. Department of Agriculture and Commerce Department actions and take a look ahead.

Moderator:
Rick Pasco, President, Sweetener Users Association

Panelists:
Barb Fecso, Director, Dairy & Sweetener Analysis Group, Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Pat Henneberry, Senior Vice President, Commodities Management, Imperial Sugar Company

Presentations:
Barb Fecso
Patrick Henneberry

 

Session IX: What Lies Ahead for Ingredients

Trade wars. The new USMCA. Record or near-record crops. 2018 was quite a year for many ingredient markets, and the dairy industry especially was affected by trade actions. With trade headwinds still blowing, what lies ahead for cocoa powder and butter prices and demand for chocolate? Will basic commodities like corn, wheat and soybeans weather similar effects? Our speakers will discuss the present supply-and-demand picture for key ingredients used by many industrial sugar users and food manufacturers and outline possibilities for the future.

Moderator:
Ron Sterk, Senior Editor, Markets, Sosland Publishing

Panelists:
Matt Gould, Editor & Analyst, The Dairy & Food Market Analyst
Stephen Nicholson, Senior Analyst, Rabo Agrifinance
Jeffrey Rasinski, Commodity Procurement & Risk Management, Blommer Chocolate Company

Presentations:
Matt Gould
Stephen Nicholson
Jeffrey Rasinksi

 

Session X: Consumer Trends in Sweeteners

Consumers are paying more attention to what’s in their food, especially sugar and other sweeteners, and they’ll have easy access to the details in 2020 when Nutrition Facts labels begin to highlight added sugars in foods and beverages. Will they change their eating habits and purchasing decisions to reduce sugar intake? Not necessarily, says our panel of consumer experts. Although today’s consumers are focused on health and wellness, taste still trumps all when they consider what to buy. This session will show how public policies and consumer trends could converge over the next few years to influence the demand for sugar and other sweeteners.

Moderator:
Paul Steed, Senior Global Price Risk Lead, Mars Wrigley Confectionery U.S.

Panelists:
Richard Black, Principal, Quadrant D Consulting
Lynn Dornblaser, Director, Innovation & Insight, Mintel International Group

Presentations:
Richard Black
Lynn Dornblaser

 

Session XI: Federal Sugar Policy

U.S. sugar policy remains the largest factor shaping the domestic sugar market. Whether adhering to the federal sugar program or the U.S.-Mexico suspension agreements, sugar buyers are faced with market-bending quantity restrictions and government-established price floors that limit options and oftentimes dictate actions. The panel will review the market situation today and discuss the likelihood of any changes to U.S. sugar policy in the future.

Moderator:
Liz Clark, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, National Confectioners Association

Panelists:
Paul Farmer, President, CSC Sugar LLC
Bill O’Conner, Agriculture Policy Expert, Watkinson Miller PLLC
Jack Roney, Director, Economics & Policy Analysis, American Sugar Alliance

Presentations:
Paul Farmer
Jack Roney