Sugar

Sucrose from tropical cane and temperate beet: a heavily protected crop whose Brazilian supply doubles as ethanol feedstock.

Softs · No. 97

• Not on a critical list
• HHI 2,169 · moderately concentrated

Brazil sells half the world's exported sugar, and much of its cane also becomes ethanol for cars.

Chart: Illustration: Sugar

Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Cane is a tropical grass that regrows from its stubble; beet is a temperate root. Both must be milled soon after harvest. FAOSTAT counted 1.94 billion t of cane in 2024.

Three things to know

1. Brazil grew 39% of the world's sugar cane in 2024 and supplied 51.4% of world sugar export value.
2. Cuba's sugar output more than halved, from 8 Mt in 1989-90 to 3.3 Mt in 1994-95, after Soviet support ended.
3. In real 2010 dollars, sugar fell from $0.52/kg in 2011 to $0.32/kg in 2025.

The journey

1. 1 Cane or beetTropical cane or temperate beet
2. 2 MillingJuice extracted beside the fields
3. 3 CrystallisingJuice clarified, evaporated into raw sugar
4. 4 RefiningWhitened, or fermented into ethanol
5. 5 End usesFood, soft drinks and fuel

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