Farm Bill Fixes to Sugar Program Featured During Day Two at Colloquium

Congress Can Address Sugar Supply Shortages and High Prices Through Sugar Program Reform

Washington, D.C. (February 27, 2024) – The International Sweetener Colloquium, co-hosted by the Sweetener Users Association (SUA) and the International Dairy Foods Association, concluded its second day today with a discussion of the 2024 farm bill. Experts made forecasts about the key issues in the bill and took a deeper dive into sugar policy reform.

Bill O’Conner, an Agriculture Policy Expert at Watkinson Miller PLLC, explained the root cause of sugar supply shortages, pointing to the sugar program’s failure to reconcile a frozen supply system with the dynamic U.S. consumption system, an incongruency exacerbated by the program’s burdensome restrictions on sugar imports.

“The many problems with high-tier imports, out-of-control sugar prices and rapidly growing imports of sugar-containing products are simply symptoms of a fundamentally broken sugar program,” said O’Conner. “Congress needs to address this problem in the next farm bill.”

Congress has the opportunity during farm bill reauthorization to implement sensible reforms to the sugar program. Smart sugar policy will better protect American companies and consumers from high prices and ensure our farm and food economy is well positioned to grow into the future.

Media Contact:
Anna Miller
amiller@fratelli.com