History

In October 1899, 173 arable farmers in Zeeuwsch Vlaanderen founded the Eerste Nederlandsche Coöperatie Beetwortelsuikerfabriek (the First Dutch Cooperative Sugar Beet Factory) in Sas van Gent. They launched their first cooperative sugar campaign in 1900, with the members receiving a better price for their sugar beet. Other growers soon began to see the benefits and followed their example: in 1916, seven cooperative sugar factories in the Netherlands were processing the sugar beet grown by their members.

Cosun Beet Company through the years

Three cooperative sugar factories merged their operations in 1947, to create the Vereniging Coöperatieve Suikerfabrieken (VCS). In 1966, VCS merged with the other, still independent cooperative sugar producers. By 1970, Cosun Beet Company had adopted its current structure. The original cooperatives disappeared and their members became direct members of Cosun Beet Company.

In 2007, Cosun Beet Company reinforced its position on the European market through the acquisition of the sugar division of CSM. In 2009, it acquired a sugar factory in Anklam in northeast German. In 2018, Cosun Beet Company bought a start-up, Green Protein, and Cosun Biobased Products became part of the Cosun Beet Company business group in order to maximise the value of the sugar beet and to work with an international network of innovative entrepreneurs.

Until October 2017, the European sugar industry was regulated by means of a common market organisation with fixed production quotas. We are now operating in a free market.

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