Sugar farmers alarmed over artificial sweeteners’ impact

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Sugar farmers and industry workers have raised concerns about the growing use of artificial sweeteners in the Philippines, fearing the influx of these products could significantly displace locally produced sugar and harm the domestic sugar industry.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., who also chairs the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the Sugar Council and the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP) expressed their “serious concern” over the unregulated importation and use of artificial sweeteners, which they believe threatens the future of the sugarcane industry.

The group highlighted that three popular artificial sweeteners—Sucralose, Aspartame, and Acesulfame Potassium—are being increasingly used in beverage manufacturing, displacing locally produced sugar.

Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar, while Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium are 200 times sweeter, according to scientific data.

The Philippine Statistics Office reported a sharp rise in the importation of these sweeteners from 950,989 kilograms in 2022 to 1,100,783 kilograms in 2023.

Sucralose imports alone jumped from 267,567 kilograms in 2022 to 433,775 kilograms in 2023, while Aspartame rose from 416,662 kilograms to 631,767 kilograms.

The group voiced their concern over how much sugar these imports have displaced in the domestic market.

“How much locally produced sugar was displaced by 433,775 kilograms of Sucralose in 2023? Or by 631,767 kilograms of Aspartame?” the group asked, pointing out that the combined importation of artificial sweeteners, including fructose syrup, amounted to over 20 million kilograms.

They added, “With both refined sugar and artificial sweetener imports, our local sugar faces a double whammy.”

The Sugar Council and NACUSIP further emphasized that artificial sweeteners enjoy zero tariff under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), putting local sugar at a competitive disadvantage as production costs continue to rise.

Labor Concerns and Economic Fallout

The labor sector is also deeply concerned, warning that the displacement of locally produced sugar by artificial sweeteners could lead to widespread job losses among sugarcane farmworkers, mill workers, and biofuel workers.

The livelihoods of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and their families, who depend heavily on sugar production, are also at risk.

The potential fallout, according to the group, includes rural unemployment and poverty, which they fear could fuel a resurgence of insurgency in the countryside.

“The repercussions on industry workers and marginal farmers are staggering and beyond imagination,” they said.

Additionally, the group stressed the potential impact on children and dependents of industry workers who benefit from scholarships and socio-economic programs funded by the Social Amelioration Program, which relies on levies from locally produced sugar, not imported products.

The Sugar Council represents the Confederation of Sugar Producers’ Associations, Inc. (CONFED), the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP), and the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers (PANAYFED). NACUSIP, led by Roland C. de la Cruz, is the country’s largest organization of labor unions and ARBs in the sugar industry.

The group urged Secretary Laurel to assist them in gathering data on the actual impact of artificial sweeteners on the local sugar market, stressing the need for coordinated action involving other government agencies, including the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“We need your help because we are aware that this issue on artificial sweeteners will involve other government agencies to which you have access,” the group said in its appeal.