Does the Current Sugar Market Structure Benefit Consumers and Sugarcane Growers?

Over the years, the sugar sector has experienced tremendous growth which has been driven by increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). According to the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO 2013), raw sugar production rose from 135,000 tons in 1990 to 430,500 tons by 2012, while exports grew from less than a thousand tons to 273,000 tons over the same period FAO 2013). While increased investments have generated growth, they have also tended to create market structures in which a single multinational is dominant. This concentration raises concerns about the functioning of these increasingly important markets and the efficiency and equity implications.