American Sugar Alliance is an industry group representing American sugar farmers. The organization represents both sugar beet and sugar cane farmers and associated industries.

A major focus of the organization and the farmers and others that it represents is maintaining the controversial U.S. sugar policy. The policy consists of a series of import quotas, subsidies, and other market-support programs to encourage and protect U.S. sugar production. ¹

The organization also frequently attacks American candy manufacturers, accusing them of making large profits. American candy makers are opponents of U.S. sugar policy and support increasing imports of cheaper foreign sugar. ²

Overview

American Sugar Alliance is an Arlington, Virginia-based lobbying and trade organization that represents American sugar farmers and the domestic sugar production industry as a whole. The organization represents both sugar beet and sugar cane farmers and the associated sugar processing and manufacturing industry. ³

U.S. Sugar Policy

The major focus of the organization and the farmers and industry that it represents is maintaining the controversial U.S. sugar policy. The policy consists of a series of import quotas, subsidies, and other market-support programs to encourage and protect U.S. sugar production. ⁴

Supporters of U.S. sugar policy claim that it protects over a hundred thousand American jobs, ultimately costs American taxpayers nothing, and provides an affordable supply of domestically produced sugar while protecting American farmers and producers from heavily subsidized foreign sugar. ⁵

Opponents claim that U.S. sugar policy costs American taxpayers up to $4 billion a year in subsidies. In addition, opponents have compared American sugar policy’s complex rules and quotas to “Stalinist-style supply control initiative” that causes domestic sugar prices to be twice the global average while crowding out other uses of productive farmland. Finally, opponents of the policy claim that it kills more jobs in the food processing sector than are protected in the sugar industry and contributes to environmental damage caused by sugar production. ⁶

American Sugar Alliance also frequently feuds with U.S. candy manufacturers, who oppose U.S. sugar policy because they believe the policy leads to higher prices for sugar. ⁷

In September 2022, the organization posted a link to a study by the University of Tennessee that showed that the U.S. candy manufacturers posted high profits and nearly double the return on investment as a publicly traded U.S. company. The organization then attacked candy manufacturers for supporting “unlimited cheap foreign sugar.” ⁸

Organizational Structure

American Sugar Alliance is a membership-based organization consisting of sugar farmers and others players in the sugar industry. It is governed by an executive committee consisting of organizations that represent sugar beet and sugar cane farmers. The organizations representing sugar beet farmers are the American Sugarbeet Growers Association and the U.S. Beet Sugar Association. The organizations representing sugar cane farmers are the Florida-based Florida Sugar Cane League, the Texas-based Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers Inc., and the Louisiana-based American Sugar Cane League. ⁹

Leadership

Vickie Rideout Myers is executive director of the American Sugar Alliance. ¹⁰

The director of economics and policy analysis is Robert Johansson. Johansson was the former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ¹¹

Finances

As of October 2022, the organization had spent $1,180,000 on lobbying the U.S. Congress that year. In 2021, it spent $2,430,000 in lobbying. ¹²

According to its 2020 tax return, it had $2,499,638 in revenue and $2,412,281 in expenses. It had total assets worth $1,200,369. ¹³

Its revenue came almost entirely from member dues. ¹⁴

1. “U.S. Sugar Policy: A No-Cost Success Story.” American Sugar Alliance. Accessed October 3, 2022. https://sugaralliance.org/u-s-sugar-policy-a-no-cost-success-story.
2. “New Study Finds Big Candy Posting Big Profits.” American Sugar Alliance. September 15, 2022. https://sugaralliance.org/new-study-finds-big-candy-posting-big-profits/38670.
3. “About Us.” American Sugar Alliance. Accessed October 3, 2022. https://sugaralliance.org/about-us.
4. “U.S. Sugar Policy: A No-Cost Success Story.” American Sugar Alliance. Accessed October 3, 2022. https://sugaralliance.org/u-s-sugar-policy-a-no-cost-success-story.
5. “U.S. Sugar Policy: A No-Cost Success Story.” American Sugar Alliance. Accessed October 3, 2022. https://sugaralliance.org/u-s-sugar-policy-a-no-cost-success-story.
6. Smith, Vincent. “The U.S. Spends $4 Billion A Year Subsidizing ‘Stalinist-Style’ Domestic Sugar Production.” Marketwatch. June 25, 2018. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-us-spends-4-billion-a-year-subsidizing-stalinist-style-domestic-sugar-production-2018-06-25.
7. “New Study Finds Big Candy Posting Big Profits.” American Sugar Alliance. September 15, 2022. https://sugaralliance.org/new-study-finds-big-candy-posting-big-profits/38670.
8. New Study Finds Big Candy Posting Big Profits.” American Sugar Alliance. September 15, 2022. https://sugaralliance.org/new-study-finds-big-candy-posting-big-profits/38670.
9. “About Us.” American Sugar Alliance. Accessed October 3, 2022. https://sugaralliance.org/about-us.
10. “About Us.” American Sugar Alliance. Accessed October 3, 2022. https://sugaralliance.org/about-us.
11. Dr. Robert Johansson Takes On Director Role At American Sugar Alliance.” American Sugar Alliance. September 1, 2021. https://sugaralliance.org/dr-robert-johansson-takes-on-director-role-at-american-sugar-alliance/37889?gclid=Cj0KCQjwkOqZBhDNARIsAACsbfIhv3hSQp13HH7yGd3r15UGhsHDwsC_vJDIqZxzPoIeHrLvbHp7mdcaAg60EALw_wcB.
12. “American Sugar Alliance Profile: Summary.” Opensecrets. Accessed October 3, 2022 https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary?id=D000047062
13. American Sugar Alliance. Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2020.
14. American Sugar Alliance. Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2020.