There is no doubt that autumn is one of the most exciting times of the year for the world of sugar. The sugarbeet and sugarcane harvests start, Halloween is around the corner, and Thanksgiving and Christmas aren’t far away. This month, there is a new day to celebrate — the first ever National Real Sugar Day.
There is a lot of opportunity for the American sugar industry to increase awareness around what real sugar is, according to Sugar Association President and CEO Courtney Gaine.
“As the gold standard for sweetness, real sugar has helped us celebrate life’s sweet memories generation after generation. We feel it’s now time we celebrate sugar and its story — of the plants, the people, the process and, of course, the product,” said Gaine. “Real sugar has always been a favorite ingredient, but it is so much more than that. Real sugar, which comes from sugarbeets and sugar cane plants, provides many functions beyond sweetness. We hope National Real Sugar Day will spotlight real sugar’s natural origins and bring greater awareness to the many roles sugar plays in the food supply.”
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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