Context:

India is hosting the 64th International Sugar Organisation (ISO) Council Meeting from 25th-27th June 2024.

About the ongoing ISO Council meeting:

• The ISO Council nominated India as the Chair of the organization for 2024. 
• Currently, a workshop (as a part of meeting) titled ‘Sugar and Biofuels – Emerging Vistas’ is being organised at Bharat Mandapam.
  International delegates, top management of Indian sugar mills, industry associations like the Indian Sugar Mill Association (ISMA) and National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF) as well as technical experts are participating in the workshop.
• Delegates from more than 30 countries and representatives of many international organisations are joining to deliberate on critical issues of the sugar and biofuel sector.
• This forum is expected to bring an opportunity to more than 200 delegates from various organisations and parts of the world to discuss the future perspective of the world on the global sugar sector, biofuels, sustainability, and the role of farmers, etc.

India’s position in the sugar sector

• As India is the world’s largest consumer and second-largest producer of sugar. 
• With about 15% share in global sugar consumption and about 20% production of sugar, Indian sugar trends affect the global markets significantly.
• In India, there are more than 500 mills in operation (2021–2022,), demonstrating its extraordinary scope. 
• States in India have different percentages of private companies owning over 60% of these mills, and cooperatives owning over 36% of the sector.

International Sugar Organisation (ISO)

• It is a UN-affiliated intergovernmental body devoted to improving conditions in the world's sugar market. 

ISO is headquartered in London. 

• It was established under the International Sugar Agreement of 1968.
• One of the key roles of the ISO is to foster dialogue and cooperation among sugar-producing and consuming countries, as well as between governments and the private sector. 
• ISO has about 85 countries as members covering almost 90% of sugar production in the World.
• It is mandated to bring major sugar-producing, consuming, and trading nations together to bring mutual understanding and a progressive approach in dealing with issues pertaining to the sugar sector.

The ISO administers the International Sugar Agreement (ISA), 1992 with the following aims:

• Foster international cooperation in sugar-related matters
• Facilitate intergovernmental discussions to improve the global sugar economy
• Collect and disseminate market information