“The second annual National Real Sugar Day was a celebration of people: those who grow sugarbeet and sugar cane crops and work in the American sugar industry, and everyone who enjoys eating, baking and cooking with real sugar.
After its successful debut on the National Day Calendar last year, the event has grown in scope and purpose. The theme of this year’s National Real Sugar Day was “Real People. Real Plants. Real Sugar,” with a focus on giving back. A collective, industry-wide donation effort in conjunction with National Real Sugar Day resulted in nearly 200,000 pounds of sugar and approximately $33,500 in financial contributions to local food banks, shelters, soup kitchens and clubs, and support to communities across 14 states.
“We believe it’s the people and the plants behind real sugar that makes this ingredient and industry so special,” said Sugar Association President and CEO Courtney Gaine, Ph.D., RD. “Our industry encompasses multigenerational farmers, truck drivers, mill, factory, and refinery workers, all dedicated to working together to bring real sugar from the fields to our tables. It’s fitting that this year the industry is choosing to celebrate by giving back to the communities that help foster this farm to table journey.””
Read the full article here: https://www.agweek.com/news/sugarbeet/national-real-sugar-day-yields-sweet-results-for-charities-and-a-minnesota-high-school
March 22, 2026
"The Feeding the Economy report affirms the vital role food and agriculture play in our nation’s economic resilience and food security. Commercial bakers have long been proud partners to American agriculture, sourcing 85 percent of their core ingredients from domestic farmers....Sponsoring organizations from the food and agriculture industries, who helped make the 2026 study possible, provided commentary on this year’s findings. The full list of sponsoring organizations includes: ...The Sugar Association"
March 10, 2026
"Courtney Gaine, president and CEO of the Sugar Association, a scientific body that supports the U.S. sugar industry, told the USDA Outlook Forum that the school meal standards taking effect next year might prohibit added sugars in kindergarten meals and could significantly restrict them in other grades. That change alone would cut sugar demand by over 130,000 short tons. The industry faces additional pressure from rising GLP-1 weight-loss drug usage, which jumped from 12% in May 2024 to 18% in November 2025, though Gaine cautioned it remains "premature to assess the impact."
March 3, 2026
"Gaine added, "There is no data to support all this." She said the focus on added sugar is often politically motivated, but food groups have not pushed back on the MAHA pressure. There is a lot of fear of retaliation, and for good reason they have not wanted to push back publicly," Gaine said. "I think it’s going to demand a coordinated, really coordinated, pushing back. Any effort up (until) now has been to go along to get along, and I don’t know if that’s going to work."
© 2026 The Sugar Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
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