Which one of the following is a major source of sugar?

January 13, 2026 •

3 min read

Over 80% of the world's sugar is produced from sugarcane, a fact that highlights its dominance in the global market. When asked, 'Which one of the following is a major source of sugar?', the answer almost invariably points to one of two key plants: sugarcane or sugar beets. These crops are cultivated worldwide specifically for their high sucrose content, making them the most significant sources for producing refined table sugar.

Quick Summary

The two primary plant-based sources of refined table sugar are sugarcane and sugar beets. This article details the global production of sugar from these major crops, contrasting their growth climates and processing methods. It also explores other, less common, sources of natural sweetness and explains how different types of sugar are derived.

Key Points

Dominant Sources: The two main global sources of refined table sugar are sugarcane and sugar beets, which produce chemically identical sucrose.
Sugarcane's Role: Sugarcane is a tropical grass that accounts for roughly 80% of the world's sugar production, extracted by crushing and boiling its fibrous stalks.
Sugar Beet's Role: Sugar beets are a temperate root crop responsible for about 20% of global sugar, extracted through a hot water diffusion process.
Geographic Divide: Sugarcane is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions, while sugar beets are grown in more moderate climates.
Alternative Sweeteners: Corn is a major source for liquid sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup, not refined table sugar, while maple syrup and honey are other natural options.
Processing Differences: A notable distinction is that refined cane sugar is sometimes processed with bone char, while beet sugar is not, making it generally more suitable for vegan diets.
Byproduct Usage: The production process yields useful byproducts, such as bagasse from sugarcane used as biofuel and beet molasses used for animal feed.

Sugarcane: The World's Leading Source

For centuries, sugarcane has been a powerhouse in the world's sugar industry. This tall, perennial grass thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, which is why countries like Brazil and India lead global production. The sugar accumulates as sucrose in the plant's fibrous stalks, which can grow up to five meters tall.

The extraction process is a multi-step journey from field to refinery.

First, the mature stalks are harvested, traditionally by hand but increasingly by mechanical harvesters.
Next, at a nearby mill, the stalks are washed, shredded, and crushed to release their sugar-rich juice.
This juice is then clarified, concentrated through boiling, and seeded with crystals to encourage crystallization.
The resulting raw sugar crystals are separated from the liquid molasses via centrifugation.
This raw sugar is then shipped to refineries for further purification, which often uses carbon filtration, sometimes involving animal bone char.

Sugarcane byproducts and their uses

The sugarcane industry is notable for producing several valuable byproducts. The fibrous material left after crushing, known as bagasse, can be burned to generate energy for the sugar mill itself. The dark, thick molasses separated during crystallization is a popular food ingredient and is also used in animal feed and fermentation to produce rum or ethanol.

Sugar Beets: A Temperate Alternative

While sugarcane dominates global production, sugar beets are an equally important source, accounting for about 20% of the world's sugar. This root vegetable is perfectly suited for cooler, temperate climates, allowing regions like Europe, Russia, and the United States to have a strong domestic sugar industry.

Unlike sugarcane's crushing method, beet sugar extraction uses a diffusion process.

After harvesting, the beets are washed and sliced into thin strips known as cossettes.
These cossettes are soaked in hot water, which leaches the sucrose from the plant fibers.
The resulting sugar-rich juice is purified and then concentrated, a process which requires less intensive refining than cane sugar production.
Crucially for some consumers, this process does not typically involve the use of bone char, making beet sugar a vegan-friendly option from the start.

Other notable sources of sugar

Beyond the two giants, other plants are also used for sugar production, although on a much smaller scale. Corn is a significant source of sweeteners, but not for table sugar directly. Instead, its starch is processed enzymatically to create corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup, widely used in the food and beverage industry. Maple syrup is a natural sweetener derived from the boiled sap of maple trees. Other sources include date palms and sorghum.

Sugarcane vs. Sugar Beets: A Comparison


Feature	Sugarcane	Sugar Beets
Plant Type	Perennial grass	Root vegetable
Growing Climate	Tropical and subtropical	Temperate
Global Production	Approximately 80%	Approximately 20%
Primary Sucrose Form	Rich, fibrous stalk	Tuberous root
Refining Process	Often uses bone char for whitening, especially in North America	Typically does not use bone char, making it vegan-friendly
Primary Producers	Brazil, India, Thailand	Russia, France, United States

Conclusion: Sugarcane and Sugar Beets are the Dominant Pair

To answer the question, "Which one of the following is a major source of sugar?", both sugarcane and sugar beets stand out as the undisputed champions of industrial sucrose production. While sugarcane holds the majority of the market share, sugar beets offer a temperate-climate alternative that produces an identical chemical compound. Understanding these two agricultural giants and their respective processing methods gives insight into the journey of the granulated sugar that sweetens food and drinks around the world. Other sources like corn and maple syrup fill specialized niches but do not compete on the same scale for producing standard table sugar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chemically, the refined sucrose from sugarcane and sugar beets is identical. The primary differences are the plant source, the climates they grow in, and the processing method used, which can affect the final product's characteristics, like trace mineral content.

No, corn is not used to make granulated table sugar (sucrose). Instead, corn starch is processed into liquid sweeteners such as corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup, which are different from the sucrose found in table sugar.

Yes, beet sugar is generally considered vegan because its refining process does not typically use bone char. Conversely, some refined cane sugar is processed with bone char for decolorization, though not all.

Maple syrup is a significant natural sweetener but not a major source of refined table sugar on a global scale. It is made from the boiled sap of maple trees and retains more of its natural nutrients than highly refined sugar.

Brazil and India are consistently the world's largest sugar producers, though their rankings can vary year-to-year. A large portion of their production is from sugarcane.

Sugar is a natural carbohydrate created by plants through photosynthesis. The plant uses sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce energy in the form of sugar, which is then stored in various parts like stems or roots.

While fruits contain natural sugars like fructose and glucose, they are not a major source for commercial granulated table sugar production. Fruits are primarily a source of fructose and glucose, while table sugar is sucrose.