the sugar market | Italy

1.1 Definition and presentation

The name "sugar" refers to sucrose, a sweet-tasting disaccharide composed of a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule harvested mainly from sugar plants. Sugar cane and sugar beet are the two main sources of sugar; additional sources of sugar include coconut and maple trees. Brazil and India, which together account for one-third of world sugar production, dominate the world market; the European Union is the third largest producer in the world. Sugar is the basic building block of many food products such as snacks, cakes, cookies, and is present in most carbonated beverages. Sugar has applications not only in the food sector but also in the pharmaceutical sector such as in the production of syrups and children's medicines. The extraction techniques for these two plants differ, but purification, concentration, refining and crystallization follow the same course. We get about 15 kilograms of crystalline sucrose and about 5 kilograms of molasses from 100 kilograms of beets, which still contain about two and a half kilograms of sugar.

In 2020, the global sugar market reached a volume of 193.2 million tons, and the market is expected to reach a volume of 202.1 million tons by 2026. In terms of value, the global industrial sugar market is estimated to reach $45.6 billion by 2026. 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.5 percent from 2020 to 2027.

With the implementation of the EU reform in 2006, Europe transformed the largest sugar companies from major exporters to importers. This had a significant impact in Italy, which had to reduce production from 1.5 million tons before the reform to the current 508 thousand tons. There are four sugar factories in the area, and the area under sugar beet is about 50-60 thousand hectares. Only 30 percent of Italy's needs are met domestically; the rest is imported. Italy is not one of the top sugar-producing countries and has great potential for growth, particularly in organic sugar substitutes such as sweeteners. Coprob, a cooperative of beet growers, controls two plants in Manerbio, in the Bologna area, and Pontelongo, in the Padua area, where Italian sugar is now produced.

The market for natural sugar substitute sweeteners is gaining momentum in Italy; Stevia is the most common alternative and has a large and established market: Coca-Cola, Zuegg, Vigorsol and EstaThe have all used stevia or rather steviosides as a sweetener in their products.