Year 2025 Draft MECAS Work Program

Introduction

The Executive Director proposes to conduct a programme of work for the Market Evaluation, Consumption and Statistics Committee (MECAS) as presented in this document for the year 2025.^[1] The MECAS program is undertaken in addition to the Secretariat’s substantial regular commitments (see Annex 1 and 2).

There are six key components to MECAS activities, including:

• The Quarterly Market Outlook;
• The Monthly Market Report;
• ISO studies;
• ISO Sugar Yearbook;
• World Sugar Balances;
• ISO Ethanol Yearbook; and
• On-going monitoring of specific issues.

Activities proposed during 2025 for each of these components are presented below.

Quarterly Market Outlook

The Quarterly Market Outlook (one issue each quarter) provides analysis of recent and expected trends, developments and issues in macro-economic drivers and in the world sugar, alternative sweeteners, and molasses markets, as well as in the sugar-crop based renewable energy markets (fuel ethanol, cogeneration). Recent developments in the fermentation-based bioplastics/biochemicals are analysed and updates and commentary on the WTO negotiations on Agriculture and on Regional Trade Agreements are also provided. Each issue provides timely analysis and review of:

• world sugar price behaviour;
• consumption, production, trade and stocks of sugar, alternative sweeteners and their feedstocks and molasses;
• consumption, production and trade in ethanol, developments in national fuel ethanol programmes, as well as ethanol feedstock price developments;
• futures market and currency update
• movements in domestic prices for sugar and ethanol;
• national sugar policy developments (twice yearly);
• trade developments;
• the world sugar balance including individual estimates for 160 countries;
• white and raw sugar trade balances;
• quarterly world sugar balances;
• in-depth analysis of a focal issue (Special Focus section);
• the price dynamics of other commodity markets;
• fermentation-based bioplastics and biochemicals;
• cogeneration; and
• the WTO Negotiations on Agriculture and Regional Trade Agreements.

The content of the Quarterly Market Outlook will be a focus of attention at the twice yearly MECAS Meetings, along with the ISO studies.

Monthly Market Report

The Monthly Market Report provides market information for the previous month covering all the important sugar and ethanol market developments during the previous month (including information on world sugar market – conditions & prospects, country summaries, new sugar production projects, fuel ethanol in key players, alternative sweeteners & other uses of sugar or sugar cane & beet, fermentation-based bioplastics and biochemicals, cogeneration, WTO and regional trade agreements, as well as ISO news).

ISO Studies

The ISO Secretariat has adopted the target of preparing six studies in 2025, consistent with our expected resource level (as discussed later).

Selection of Studies

ISO studies are prepared to meet two key outcomes crucial to the achievement of our strategic direction:

• Members benefit from improved transparency in world sugar trade; and
• Members are fully informed about key drivers and emerging issues impacting the world sugar, sweeteners, renewable energy (fuel ethanol and cogeneration), bioplastics/biochemicals and related markets.

All the proposed study topics for 2025 are consistent with the ISO’s Strategic Direction.

ISO studies are aimed at providing members with objective, factual, professional and timely assessments of developments relating to the key drivers impacting the global markets for sugar, sweeteners, fuel ethanol, sugarcane-based electricity generation, fermentation-based bioplastics/biochemicals and related commodities.

Each year the ISO Secretariat also consults with members in devising the priority listing of research topics, which for 2025 are given in Annex 3.

At each MECAS meeting, the studies to be undertaken from this list for the upcoming MECAS meeting will be discussed. This approach is taken because the sugar, sweeteners, and sugar-crop based renewable energy markets are dynamic and developments are often unforeseeable over the medium term. The approach also ensures that the ISO does not lock itself into research topics which may become no longer relevant.

ISO Sugar Yearbook

This yearbook provides comprehensive coverage of sugar production, consumption, trade and stocks for the whole world (about 350 pages, nearly 325 country tables).  Individual country tables show production, consumption and trade by countries of origin and destination for the last eight years. 18 world tables including raw and white sugar trade and per capita consumption. The most complete, authoritative and up to date source of world sugar statistics available. 

ISO Ethanol Yearbook

The ethanol yearbook offers around 100 pages of both comprehensive statistics and in-depth analysis of the world fuel ethanol market.  The yearbook includes data on world fuel ethanol production, consumption and trade as well as individual national balances with data series on production, import, export, consumption, stocks and prices for key countries.

On-going monitoring of specific issues

The ISO also maintains a watching brief on specific issues on an on-going basis, reporting relevant information, in a variety of formats, to members as they arise, and as resources allow, including:

 (a)    Sugar, Human Health and Nutrition

• To survey, review and disseminate information evaluating the nutritional and health aspects of sugar, with a view to reducing public prejudice against sugar, facilitating promotion of consumption.
• To disseminate information regarding proposed and announced sugar taxes and other fiscal and policy measures against sugar.
• To provide members with up-to-date information in conjunction with relevant WHO activities.
• To provide members with current information on taxes on sugar-containing products.
• To provide members with worldwide trends in per capita sugar consumption in the context of calorie intake and health issues.

(b)     Sugar and the Environment

• To monitor environmental issues and their possible impacts on the sugar industries of member countries.

(c)     Sugar and Sustainable Development

• To update, report and promote the abilities of the sugar industry as a vehicle for sustainable development.

(d)     Standardisation and Certification

• To monitor and review sugar as well as beet and cane derived products certified to have been produced in a socially and environmentally sustainable way.

[1] Article 33 of the 1992 International Sugar Agreement establishes MECAS. Paragraphs 2 and 3 of article 33 outline the scope of the work to be undertaken by the Committee, while paragraph 4 states that the Council shall consider each year a draft forward work programme.