Last week the American Farm Bureau Federation met for its 105th convention, gathering farmers and ranchers from across the country to discuss issues critical to its members. As part of its 2024 policy resolutions, AFBF expressed its continued support for no-cost sugar policy.
“We applaud the American Farm Bureau Federation’s continued support of no-cost U.S. sugar policy,” said Cassie Bladow, chairwoman of the American Sugar Alliance. “We appreciate having AFBF as a strong partner as we advocate for America’s sugar producers in the next Farm Bill.”
AFBF’s policy resolution advocates for a program that safeguards the interests of domestic sugar producers and supports critical pillars in the sugar policy, including:
- A program to protect the interests of domestic sugar producers.
- Legislation that includes provisions that ensure a strong and economically viable domestic sugar industry.
- A program that meets our trade commitments and ensures a fair playing field for U.S. producers.
As the largest association of American farmers and ranchers, AFBF has consistently supported U.S. sugar policy as part of the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide loans to domestic producers. These loans are repaid with interest, and the policy operates without subsidies, meaning it incurs no costs for taxpayers.
U.S. sugar policy also has strong bipartisan support in Congress and is supported by a large coalition of agricultural and stakeholder groups across America. ASA again thanks AFBF for its ongoing partnership.