Our Visit to Capitol Hill

We brought our call for sugar reform and an end to cane-burning to the US Capitol this week, meeting with more than a dozen members of the House and Senate and their staffs, on both sides of the aisle.  

The meetings were highly productive. Our basic goal was educational. Most legislators had never heard a case for sugar reform on the basis of social justice, the environment, or human rights. That's all changing—right now. We are reshaping how America's legislative leaders view the sugar industry and laying the groundwork for change.

In each meeting, we hand delivered this letter, which asks the leaders of the House and Senate agriculture committees to use the conservation title of the farm bill to end sugarcane burning. The letter is signed by the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Black Lives Matter—Muck City, Patagonia, Dominicans for Justice and Peace, the Franciscan Action Network, Friends of the Earth and many more. This is a sugar reform coalition of unprecedented diversity and power.

Our work continues, with more urgency and optimism than ever. Without your support, none of this is possible. Thanks for all that you've done. Please continue to support our efforts. And don't hesitate to reach out with ideas and questions.