The Washington Post ran an editorial last week calling for reform of the U.S. sugar program, an action that IDFA supports. The article mentions the costly program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which “lost $280 million on the sugar program in fiscal year 2013, with more losses expected next year.”

“We encourage all our sugar-using members to share this editorial with your members of Congress and let them know you oppose spending tax dollars to support subsidies for wealthy sugar producers,” said Beth Hughes, IDFA director of international affairs. “And if your legislators voted to keep the costly subsidies intact, urge them to change positions and support sugar reform.”

IDFA opposes the U.S. sugar program because it manipulates sugar supplies, creating unnecessary instability in sugar markets. The program also leads to higher costs for processors and increased prices for consumers and represents unnecessary and inefficient governmental intrusion into private sector buying, selling and importing decisions.

For more information, contact Hughes at bhughes@idfa.org.