Sugar producers from around the globe will gather in Vail, Colorado the first week of August for the 27th International Sweetener Symposium sponsored by the American Sugar Alliance (ASA).

Colorado is a logical choice for this event—which will also be attended by sugar users, brokers, industry suppliers, policy experts, and journalists—because of the significant number of area jobs tied to the domestic sugar industry.   In fact, more than 9,000 people in Colorado and neighboring Wyoming can trace their jobs to sugar. 

“We are very excited that sugar representatives from the U.S., the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Asia and Europe will get a glimpse into our everyday lives,” said Alan Welp, a sugarbeet farmer from Wray, Colorado. “Colorado is known for its scenic beauty, which folks will certainly enjoy, but we hope people will remember when they look at the mountain ranges that agriculture keeps the state humming.”

Maintaining sugar-related jobs in Colorado and across the country will be one of the main themes of the Symposium.

Welp, the former president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, says a strong 2012 Farm Bill will be essential to the industry’s future success—a theme that numerous sugar producers shared with the House Agriculture Committee during Farm Bill field hearings held in May.   

And lawmakers were apparently listening.   Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN), who is scheduled to address the Symposium via remote satellite, said at one Farm Bill hearing: “[Sugar policy] is working exactly as it is supposed to. I don’t foresee big changes in sugar.”

Domestic sugar policy won’t be the only topic tackled during the August meeting.  Jack Pettus of the American Sugar Cane League, who will take over as ASA Chairman during the event, says attendees will also hear from experts about international trade and current market conditions.

Among the scheduled speakers to address the group in person are Jim Miller, USDA’s Undersecretary of Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services, and Islam Siddiqui, the Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative.

Like Peterson, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND), Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), and Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) will join the meeting via satellite because Congress is scheduled to be in session.

“This year’s Symposium promises to be a must-attend event for anyone who follows the sugar business,” said Pettus.  “All are welcome to attend.”

Interested parties can visit www.sugaralliance.org to register or learn more about the Symposium, which will be held July 30-August 4.