Glades group fights sugar with sugar

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http://www.sptimes.com/News/080301/State/Glades_group_fights_s.shtml

Glades group fights sugar with sugar

©Associated Press

© St. sburg Times,

published August 3, 2001

WEST PALM BEACH -- An Everglades protection group has found a new weapon in

its battle against the state's sugar industry and its impact on the fragile

ecosystem.

Save our Everglades has turned to selling its own pricey brand of sugar,

grown in Texas and Louisiana, to give Florida consumers another option to

sugar produced from farms that drain fertilizer-polluted water into the

Everglades.

The Save Our Everglades Sugar aims to compete with Florida's three top sugar

producers: Florida Crystals Corp., U.S. Sugar Corp. and Sugar Cane Growers

ative of Florida.

" We're going to push them right off the shelf, " said Mike , manager of

Apura Everglades Co. of Tequesta, near West Palm Beach. The company was

founded last year to market the sugar.

Some in the sugar industry praised the group's efforts. But critics said

Louisiana sugar grown near the state's famous bayous also has led to

ecological issues.

" It seems a terrible waste of those resources to jump into the marketing of

sugar, a business that is unprofitable, " said Jack Roney, economics director

at American Sugar Alliance in Washington.

The orange and blue-green packages are decorated with pictures of a great

blue heron and the Everglades. They should be available in Publix,

Albertsons and Winn-Dixie supermarket chains in Florida and Georgia by the

end of next week, said.

The slogan on the front of the bags reads: " The right choice, for you and

America's Everglades. "

" It's a way of introducing millions of consumers to the idea that maybe

there is a more environmentally friendly product, " said Lee, vice

president of Audubon of Florida.

Although the sugar is more expensive per pound than the average store brand,

said Florida voters who supported their " polluters pay " constitutional

amendments in 1996 are their potential market.

" No one is looking to make money, " said. " We plow the profits right

back in. "

Apura sugar will retail for $2.49 for a 3 1/2-pound bag, with about 75 cents

of that going to the Islamorada-based Everglades Foundation. Some

supermarkets Thursday were selling 5-pound bags of store brands for $1.95

and $1.99.