Americans’ use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs cuts sugar intake, hits sugar beet farmers: Report

Americans’ use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs cuts sugar intake, hits sugar beet farmers: Report

The growing use of GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic is reducing Americans’ sugar consumption—users spend 6% less on candy and 10% less on baked goods, Reuters reports—creating a sugar surplus that has slashed beet prices by 33% and put farmers under financial pressure.

Weight-loss drugs and MAHA are hammering US sugarbeet farmers

CHICAGO (Reuters) — For years, sugarbeets were a lifeline for American farmers. More than half of domestically produced sugar comes from the white-fleshed root crops, and robust demand from the world’s top sugar-consuming nation has shielded growers from more volatile crops like corn, soybeans and wheat. But not this year. A dramatic drop in U.S. consumption and excess imports have ballooned stockpiles. Refined beet sugar prices are down 33% fro…