ABSTRACT
The European sugar industry is very homogeneous. It is dominated by large companies, typically with 25 sugar factories, which have diversified into areas that are more or less directly linked to sugar production. The basic physical and chemical principles of sugar refining have not changed during the last 50 years and are very similar at all sugar factories using sugar beets. The most important technological shift in harvesting has been the mechanization of the process. The sugar factories facing the most restrictive regulations have invested heavily in developing waste water treatment plants. In The Netherlands and Ireland the waste water is cleaned in anaerobic plants followed by aerobic biological treatment plants. The importance of locality is related to the supplier structure which, combined with the organizational structure, has created close local relations. The major environmental problems are waste water and odour. The odour issue is illustrative of the changing conditions for the sugar industry.
