New Guinea
How is it produced?
Sugarcane is grown primarily by planting the cuttings. These are sections of the stalk of immature cane called seed cane and used for planting.
Describe the supply chain to the store shelf in Canada:
The majority of Canadian refined sugar is produced from raw cane sugar imported from tropical regions in South and Central America. The raw sugar is transported by ship in bulk cargo to refineries located at deep water ports in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Here it is refined to separate the pure sugar crystals from molasses, plant residue and impurities.
What is the power balance between the producer and seller?
About 40% of production is exported, providing an important source of foreign exchange revenue for exporting countries such as Brazil, Thailand and Australia.
Can you recommend changes to the system to improve the balance?
There needs to be an improvement in balance between producers and sellers which could happen and be successful if considering various factors such as market efficiency, farmer organization and government support.
References/Resources:
Canadian Sugar Institute
https://sugar.ca/international-trade/canadian-sugar-market/canadian-sugar-today
International Institute for Sustainable Development
https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-09/2023-global-market-report-sugar-cane.pdf
Britannica – Sugarcane
https://www.britannica.com/plant/sugarcane