Behind the sweet taste in our kitchens lies a colossal global engine, with over 1.8 billion metric tons of sugarcane harvested annually, where giants like Brazil and India lead the charge, setting the stage for a deep dive into the sweet and surprisingly powerful forces shaping our world.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022/23, global sugarcane production reached 1.85 billion metric tons, led by Brazil with 672.4 million metric tons and India with 490 million metric tons
- Brazil's sugarcane production in the 2022/23 harvest season was 571.37 million tons, a 4.5% increase from the previous year due to favorable weather
- India's sugarcane production for the 2022-23 season was estimated at 490.37 million tonnes, up 5% from 467.29 million tonnes in 2021-22
- Global human food consumption of sugarcane products averaged 24 kg per capita annually in 2022
- World sugar consumption from sugarcane reached 177 million tons in 2022/23
- India's per capita sugar consumption was 20.5 kg in 2022, up from 19.8 kg
- Brazil exported 32.5 million tons of sugar in 2022/23, 51% of global trade
- World sugar exports reached 63 million tons in 2022/23
- India's sugar exports surged to 11 million tons in 2022/23, mainly to Bangladesh and Indonesia
- Sugarcane industry's global revenue reached $85 billion in 2022
- Brazil's sugarcane sector contributed 2.5% to national GDP in 2022, employing 1.2 million
- India's sugar industry generated $15 billion revenue in 2022-23, supporting 50 million farmers
- Sugarcane farming emitted 1.2 billion tons CO2e globally in 2022
- Brazil's sugarcane expansion led to 20% deforestation in Cerrado biome 2010-2022
- Global sugarcane water use: 280 billion cubic meters annually
The global sugarcane industry continues significant growth, led by Brazil and India, and fuels a massive sugar and ethanol market.
Consumption
- Global human food consumption of sugarcane products averaged 24 kg per capita annually in 2022
- World sugar consumption from sugarcane reached 177 million tons in 2022/23
- India's per capita sugar consumption was 20.5 kg in 2022, up from 19.8 kg
- Brazil consumed 11.5 million tons of sugar in 2022/23, mostly from domestic sugarcane
- China's sugar consumption hit 15.2 million tons in 2022, driven by beverages
- U.S. per capita consumption of caloric sweeteners from sugarcane was 42.1 pounds in 2022
- EU-27 sugar consumption stabilized at 16.5 million tons in 2022/23
- Indonesia's sugar consumption was 2.8 million tons in 2022, with 70% imported
- Mexico consumed 5.1 million tons of sugar in 2022/23
- Global ethanol production from sugarcane was 29.5 billion liters in 2022/23
- Thailand's domestic sugar consumption reached 1.9 million tons in 2022
- Pakistan per capita sugar intake was 28 kg in 2022
- Australia's refined sugar consumption was 1.1 million tons in 2022/23
- Vietnam sugar consumption grew to 1.7 million tons in 2022
- World apparent sugar consumption increased 1.2% to 180 million tons in 2023 forecast
- India's confectionery sector consumed 4.5 million tons of sugar in 2022
- U.S. high fructose corn syrup consumption, alternative to sugarcane sugar, was 8.3 million tons in 2022
- Brazil's ethanol for fuel consumed 27 billion liters from sugarcane in 2022
- Global bioethanol from sugarcane demand projected at 35 billion liters by 2025
- EU sugar use in beverages was 4.2 million tons in 2022
- Philippines sugar consumption totaled 2.2 million tons in 2022
- South Africa consumed 1.4 million tons of sugar domestically in 2022/23
Consumption Interpretation
Despite its global popularity, our collective sweet tooth is rather unevenly distributed, with America leading the indulgent pack, Brazil efficiently fueling both cars and people, and the world steadily increasing its consumption of both sugar and sugarcane ethanol—proving we're not just eating our way through the cane, but also driving on it.
Economics
- Sugarcane industry's global revenue reached $85 billion in 2022
- Brazil's sugarcane sector contributed 2.5% to national GDP in 2022, employing 1.2 million
- India's sugar industry generated $15 billion revenue in 2022-23, supporting 50 million farmers
- Global sugar market size was $72.5 billion in 2022, projected to $92 billion by 2030
- U.S. sugarcane production value was $4.2 billion in 2022
- Thailand's sugar industry exports earned $3.8 billion in 2022/23
- Average farmgate price for sugarcane in Brazil was BRL 140/ton in 2022/23
- India's sugarcane farmer income averaged INR 250,000 per hectare in 2022-23
- Global employment in sugarcane sector: 100 million people in 2022
- Australia's sugarcane industry contributed AUD 1.5 billion to economy in 2022/23
- Ethanol from sugarcane in Brazil generated $20 billion revenue in 2022
- World sugar retail price averaged 18.5 cents/lb in 2022
- Pakistan sugar mills' turnover was PKR 500 billion in 2022-23
- Mexico's sugarcane sector employed 350,000 workers in 2022
- China's sugar industry investment reached CNY 50 billion in 2022
- Global sugarcane processing capacity: 2.5 billion tons annually in 2022
- Brazil's 450 sugar mills processed 95% of national sugarcane in 2022/23
- India's 550 sugar factories produced 35 million tons sugar in 2022-23
- Sugarcane contributed 1.8% to Thailand's agricultural GDP in 2022
Economics Interpretation
This $85 billion industry, while sweetening global coffers and sustaining millions, serves a serious reminder that its economic clout, from Brazil's fields to India's farms, is the often-overlooked sugar in the world's tank.
Environment
- Sugarcane farming emitted 1.2 billion tons CO2e globally in 2022
- Brazil's sugarcane expansion led to 20% deforestation in Cerrado biome 2010-2022
- Global sugarcane water use: 280 billion cubic meters annually
- India's sugarcane irrigation consumes 70% of agricultural water in Maharashtra
- Sugarcane fields release 150 kg N2O per hectare yearly, contributing to GHG
- Brazil's sugarcane ethanol reduces CO2 by 70% vs gasoline lifecycle
- Global sugarcane pesticide use: 1.5 million tons active ingredients in 2022
- Australia's Great Barrier Reef affected by sugarcane runoff, 50% nitrogen pollution
- Sugarcane monoculture reduces biodiversity by 40% in tropical areas
- Thailand's sugarcane burning emits 10 million tons PM2.5 precursors yearly
- Water footprint of sugarcane sugar is 1900 m3/ton globally
- Brazil recycled 95% of vinasse byproduct in 2022 for fertigation
- Global sugarcane soil erosion rate: 20 tons/ha/year in sloped fields
- India's bagasse utilization for cogeneration: 25 million tons in 2022, reducing fossil fuels
- Sugarcane vinasse pollution treated in 80% of Brazilian mills in 2022
Environment Interpretation
Sugarcane's duality is a bitter pill: it simultaneously fuels a bioethanol revolution that cuts emissions and an ecological crisis where its thirst for land and water drowns ecosystems, poisons reefs, and smothers biodiversity, proving that even our sweetest solutions often come with a sour aftertaste.
Production
- In 2022/23, global sugarcane production reached 1.85 billion metric tons, led by Brazil with 672.4 million metric tons and India with 490 million metric tons
- Brazil's sugarcane production in the 2022/23 harvest season was 571.37 million tons, a 4.5% increase from the previous year due to favorable weather
- India's sugarcane production for the 2022-23 season was estimated at 490.37 million tonnes, up 5% from 467.29 million tonnes in 2021-22
- Thailand produced 92.6 million tons of sugarcane in 2022/23, ranking third globally
- China's sugarcane output hit 128.35 million tons in 2022, supported by expanded planting areas
- Pakistan's sugarcane production reached 89 million tons in 2022-23, driven by higher yields in Punjab province
- Australia's sugarcane crush volume was 36.5 million tons in 2022/23, slightly down due to dry conditions in Queensland
- Indonesia produced 34.5 million tons of sugarcane in 2022, with Java island contributing 70%
- Mexico's sugarcane production totaled 50.2 million tons in 2022/23, affected by droughts in key regions
- Colombia harvested 38.5 million tons of sugarcane in 2022, up 2% year-over-year
- In 2022/23, world raw centrifugal sugar production from sugarcane was 112 million metric tons
- Brazil's Center-South region produced 97.5 million tons of sugar from sugarcane in 2022/23
- India's Uttar Pradesh state led with 210 million tons of sugarcane production in 2022-23
- Global sugarcane area harvested was 27.2 million hectares in 2022
- Average global sugarcane yield was 67.9 tons per hectare in 2022, highest in Peru at 110 tons/ha
- Vietnam's sugarcane production reached 18.5 million tons in 2022/23
- Philippines produced 24.3 million tons of sugarcane in 2022
- South Africa's sugarcane production was 18.9 million tons in 2022/23, down due to milling constraints
- Argentina crushed 24.8 million tons of sugarcane in 2022/23
- Guatemala's sugarcane harvest was 23.5 million tons in 2022
- World sugarcane production grew by 2.1% to 1.91 billion tons in 2023/24 forecast
- Brazil expanded sugarcane planted area to 10.2 million hectares in 2023
- India's Maharashtra produced 105 million tons of sugarcane in 2022-23
- Thailand's sugarcane yield averaged 65 tons/ha in 2022/23
- Global sugarcane production share: Brazil 35%, India 25%, others 40% in 2022
- Egypt's sugarcane production was 15.2 million tons in 2022
- Reunion Island produced 1.8 million tons from 12,000 ha in 2022
- Cuba harvested 32 million tons of sugarcane in 2022/23 campaign
- Peru's sugarcane yield reached 105 tons/ha in 2022, highest globally
Production Interpretation
The world runs on sugar with the zeal of a kid in a candy store, as evidenced by Brazil and India’s agricultural powerhouses producing over a billion tons of cane between them, while the rest of the planet hustles to sweeten the pot, all under the fickle rule of weather and yield.
Trade
- Brazil exported 32.5 million tons of sugar in 2022/23, 51% of global trade
- World sugar exports reached 63 million tons in 2022/23
- India's sugar exports surged to 11 million tons in 2022/23, mainly to Bangladesh and Indonesia
- Thailand exported 6.8 million tons of sugar in 2022/23, second largest exporter
- Australia's raw sugar exports were 3.2 million tons in 2022/23
- Guatemala exported 2.9 million tons of sugar in 2022
- U.S. imported 4.5 million tons of sugar in 2022 under TRQ, mostly from Mexico and Brazil
- EU imported 3.1 million tons of raw sugar in 2022/23
- China's sugar imports hit 5.5 million tons in 2022, from Brazil and Thailand
- Indonesia imported 3.2 million tons of sugar in 2022 to meet domestic needs
- Pakistan exported 0.5 million tons of sugar in 2022/23
- World sugar trade value was $25.6 billion in 2022
- Brazil's sugar exports to China were 2.1 million tons in 2022
- India's sugar exports to Bangladesh reached 2.5 million tons in 2022/23
- UAE imported 1.8 million tons of sugar in 2022, re-export hub
- Mexico exported 1.2 million tons of sugar to U.S. in 2022
- Global white sugar exports were 12 million tons in 2022/23
- Thailand's sugar exports to Indonesia were 1.5 million tons in 2022
- Colombia exported 2.1 million tons of sugar in 2022
- Saudi Arabia imported 2.4 million tons of sugar in 2022
Trade Interpretation
Brazil is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the sugar world, producing over half of it globally, yet this sweet empire reveals a global addiction where major producers like India and Thailand are also feeding massive demand from China and Indonesia, creating a $25 billion swirl of dependency and opportunity from Iowa to Dubai.
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