Liberalising agricultural policy for sugar in Europe risks damaging public health

Concerns about the health effects of dietary sugars have recently taken centre stage, reflecting an emerging understanding of the importance of sugars, and particularly sugary drinks, in the development of obesity and diabetes.1 2 3 4 Recent research estimates consumption of sugar sweetened beverages will cause about 80 000 excess cases of type 2 diabetes in the UK over 10 years.1 In early 2015, the World Health Organization recommended intake of free sugars should be less than 10% of daily calories, and preferably below 5%.5 In July, the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition halved its recommendation for free sugars to no more than 5% of daily calories.6

Dietary sugars (non-milk extrinsic sugars) made up about 15% and 12% of dietary calories among UK children and adults, respectively, in 2012.7 Recently there have been calls for action to reduce sugar consumption, including voluntary industry reformulation and taxes or warning labels on sugary foods.8 9 10 Earlier this year, Public Health England proposed a series of evidence informed measures to reduce sugar consumption.11

So far, relatively little attention has been given to important structural factors, including in agriculture, which influence sugar consumption in the UK.12 13 14 However, agricultural policy, through its effect on price and availability of foods, is known to be an important determinant of health.12 14 15 16 17 18 19 The European common agricultural policy has historically protected the European sucrose (sugar beet) industry through interventions that have kept commodity prices high and prevented foreign imports. For the past decade, the EU has been phasing out these protections (“liberalisation”). This process will be nearly complete by 2017. We describe the effect liberalisation may …