User:Henri Ruukki/ISO
The International Sugar Organization (the ISO) is the intergovernmental body devoted to improving conditions on the world's sugar market through Debate, Analysis, Special Studies, Transparent Statistics, Seminars, Conferences and Workshops.
The role of the ISO
The ISO is based in London. The 86 member states of the ISO represent (based on data for 2009):
- 87% of world sugar production
- 69% of world sugar consumption
- 95% of world exports
- 44% of world imports
The ISO exists to administer the internationally negotiated 1992 International Sugar Agreement (ISA), the objectives of which are:
- to ensure enhanced international cooperation in connection with world sugar matters and related issues.
- to provide a forum for intergovernmental consultations on sugar and on ways to improve the world sugar economy.
- to facilitate trade by collecting and providing information on the world markets for sugar and other sweeteners.
- to encourage increased demand for sugar, particularly for non-traditional uses.
The activities the ISO undertakes to fulfill these objectives include:
- Intergovernmental level council sessions - held twice a year in May and November - for debating policy issues at a multi-lateral level.
- The ISO claims to contribute significantly to improved market transparency through its long established and widely recognized statistical and analytical activities. The Market Evaluation, Consumption & Statistics Committee (MECAS), also meeting twice a year, allows debate of the short term market perspective based on the ISO Secretariat's independent view, longer term perspectives and studies carried out by the Secretariat and others of issues and problems of common interest to members.
- Annual seminars with the objective of increasing knowledge and understanding of the sugar market and related problems. Since 1992, ISO Seminars have acted as events to provide information and to give the decision makers - representing growers, processors, trade, governments, banks and press - an opportunity to gather together.
- Workshops on subjects of special interest and importance to the sugar world. Topics covered include: The Implications of the GATT Uruguay/WTO Round for Sugar, Alcohol & the Environment, Alternative Uses of Sugar and By-products, Alternative Uses of Bagasse, Developments, Opportunities in Sugar Technology (beet/cane) and Diversification, World Market Situation and Impact of Latin America on Sugar Markets, Cogeneration, RTAs, Alternative Sweeteners, Prices/Exchange Rates, Futures, Freight Rates, Consumption Patterns.
- As the designated International Commodity Body (ICB) for sugar for the Amsterdam based Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), the ISO formulates and sponsors projects from developing countries and countries in transition seeking finance from the first and second accounts of the CFC. Since the CFC is a commodity-wide lending agency, projects to improve productivity, widen product-base and diversify vertically the sugar industry aim to benefit all ISO members besides the country where the project is sited. Benefits derived from CFC projects enable members to repay their ISO contribution many times over ISO CFC Projects.
The ISO aims to continue to expand its activities. Expanding from its traditional areas of sugar statistics, short and long term forecasting and market analysis, the ISO is tackling issues like sugar and health, sugar and the environment, fortification of sugar with Vitamin A, Organic Sugar and the promotion of sugar. Product coverage has been expanded to deal with related or associated products like alcohol, molasses and alternative sweeteners, both calorific and non-calorific, Biofuels, Carbon Credit Trading.
