ORGANIC AND FAIR TRADE SUGAR FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY

We have been supplying a wide range of sugar to the food industry for many years.

Our first ever product was whole cane sugar. When Albert Yersin founded PRONATEC in 1976, his motivation was to launch a healthy, tooth-friendly sugar. Extensive research led to the discovery of a drying process allowing sugar to be traded in powder form instead of in the usual blocks. The first whole cane sugar in Switzerland was subsequently created under the brand name SUCANAT^®.

In the 1990s, we expanded our range of cane sugar to include innovative products. As a result, PRONATEC launched the world’s first organic-certified raw cane sugar, which then went on to achieve fair trade certification.

Our crystallised raw cane sugar SYRAMENA^® is an ideal alternative to beet sugar and is very popular among milk processors and manufacturers of drinks, chocolate and baked goods. Different qualities with various molasses content provide the ideal cane sugar for every purpose. Ground sugar and icing sugar complete our cane sugar range.

In 2017, we expanded our range to include organic coconut blossom sugar from Indonesia. This traditional sweetener from South and Southeast Asia is harvested in the traditional way by hand and has become a popular alternative to beet and cane sugar worldwide. Learn more about organic coconut blossom sugar in this article.

No synthetic pesticides or artificial fertilisers are used during the cultivation of organic whole cane and raw cane sugar. This is beneficial to both long-term soil quality and biodiversity.

Our SYRAMENA^® raw cane sugar is also available in Demeter quality. Our partner La Felsina supports the cultivation of organic sugar cane in Paraguay.

A study conducted by Climatop showed that the impact on the climate of SYRAMENA^® organic raw cane sugar from Paraguay is around 40% lower than that of organic beet sugar from Europe. Soil compaction and the high energy consumption required for harvesting and cultivation are a huge problem when it comes to beet sugar. Growing low-maintenance sugar cane offers huge advantages here. In terms of the overall impact on the climate, transport by cargo ship across the ocean is much less significant on balance.

It is extremely important to us that our producers receive a fair price for their sugar cane. That’s why the majority of our sugar suppliers are fair trade certified. Buying fair trade sugar involves establishing guaranteed minimum prices and concluding long-term purchase contracts. The fair trade label also ensures that the entire value chain is free from child labour.

Fair trade premiums not only improve the farmers’ income, but also enable cooperatives to implement diverse community projects such as building schools or modern production infrastructure or making investments in healthcare. The cooperatives are indispensable, strong partners for the smallholders in their daily work – read more in our interview with sugar cane farmers Magally Fernandez from Costa Rica and Ignacio Arrua from Paraguay.

In 2023, we paid out 1,389,378 US dollars in fair trade premiums together with our customers. Learn more about how your purchase of fair trade products makes a difference.

SYRAMENA® Special Light is a very light, non-refined cane sugar. It contains a small residual amount of molasses, is beige in colour and has a neutral sweetness.

We supply organic and fair trade cane sugar from the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Colombia, Mosambique, Thailand and India.

As a matter of conviction, we buy organic and fair trade cane sugar directly from its place of origin. We maintain long-term partnerships with our producers in the growing regions in accordance with the principles of fair trade.