The Christian Science Monitor: Pricey holiday sweets? Why sugar outpaces grocery inflation.

… At a time when overall food inflation is decelerating, sugar prices continue to rise at a stubbornly high rate. That’s helping to boost the price of sweets – from Christmas chocolates to Girl Scout cookies – and many other foods that use sweeteners. And it’s focusing a harsh light on a federal sugar program that Congress has to reauthorize as part of an overall farm bill. …

This time, sugar users are pushing for smaller changes that would bring imports in line with current trade patterns and make them more timely.

“We’re not talking about major reform of the program,” says Rick Pasco, president of the Sweetener Users Association in Washington. “Should we have reforms, they would be modest reforms.” …