When you think of Colorado agriculture, cattle ranching may be the first thing that comes to mind, but Colorado also has a sugar beet industry. As a fourth-generation sugar beet farmer whose family has grown sugar beets in Colorado for over 100 years, I know how important sugar production is to Colorado.
That’s why I recently joined more than 75 sugar beet and sugarcane farmers from across the country to meet with members of Congress in Washington, D.C., to urge Congress to pass a farm bill that includes a strong U.S. sugar policy.
Approximately every four years, Congress considers the Farm Bill, which contains the provisions that make up U.S. sugar policy. It’s designed to cost taxpayers nothing, but provide critical financing to sugar producers and prevent subsidized foreign sugar from putting family farms like mine out of business. Masu.
It is more important than ever to have the strongest possible safety net to maintain current production levels and maintain national food security.
Across the country, sugar beet and sugarcane farms are facing economic pressure due to significant increases in production costs. One recent study found that the cost of growing sugar beets and sugarcane has “significantly increased” by more than 30% since the last Farm Bill.
Almost every American has felt the effects of inflation — and farmers are no exception. My farm has also invested in sustainability practices to conserve water, fuel, and retain carbon in the soil. This comes at a cost, but we’re proud to help produce the safest and most sustainable sugar in the world, feeding our neighbors and supplying food manufacturers across the country.
U.S. sugar policy helps U.S. farmers invest in sustainability efforts and improve productivity. We grow and produce sugar under the highest labor and environmental standards in the world. However, repealing or weakening U.S. sugar policy could leave Americans dependent on foreign sugar that may not adhere to the same high standards and may not necessarily arrive on time from overseas. It may not necessarily be the case.
Sugar is also the world’s most distorted commodity market due to market manipulation by foreign governments. Our family farmers and sugar mill workers have no defense against unfair foreign subsidies.
The sugar industry plays an important role in our economy. We are family farmers of 11,000 people, create more than 151,000 jobs in more than 20 states, and reliably supply more than 70% of the sugar consumed in the United States. In Colorado alone, sugar generates her $290 million economic impact. Impacting and supporting over 4,400 jobs. The sugar beets grown on my farm are delivered to Western Sugar Cooperative, a farmer-owned cooperative based in Denver. Without a strong safety net, family farms like mine will be forced out of business and countless jobs will be lost.
Fortunately, U.S. sugar policy is supported by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, including members of Colorado’s delegation. I had the pleasure of visiting with members of Congress and their staff in Washington to speak to them about how policies that level the playing field for American farmers can help maintain our nation’s food security.
After all, my family has been growing sugar beets in Colorado for more than 100 years, and I can only hope that with support from members of Congress and strong U.S. sugar policy, we can continue this legacy for another 100 years.
Paul Schlagel grew up on his family’s farm in Longmont, where his family has been producing sugar beets in Colorado for more than 100 years.
