Verein der Zuckerindustrie

The Verein der Zuckerindustrie (VdZ) is the trade association of sugar-producing companies in Germany, headquartered in Berlin. It is widely described as the oldest industrial association in Germany, founded on 1 September 1850 in Magdeburg as the Verein für die Rübenzuckerindustrie im Deutschen Zollverein by 85 beet sugar factories. Its first chairman was Karl Joachim Jacob Hennige. A parallel body for cane-sugar refiners, the Verein der Raffinadeure im Zollverein und in Hannover, was founded on 5 April 1852 under Eduard Joest; the two later merged into today's Verein der Zuckerindustrie. The association renamed itself in 1873 as the Verein für die Rübenzuckerindustrie des Deutschen Reichs and at times was based in Hanover and later Bonn before moving to Berlin in 2018. It operates alongside the Wirtschaftliche Vereinigung Zucker (WVZ), with which it shares the joint web presence Zuckerverbände. The VdZ functions as an employers' association and advocates for the sugar industry in areas including feed law, food law and nutrition, tax law, environmental and safety technology, and research into sugar beet cultivation and processing. From 1851 to 1944 it published the Zeitschrift des Vereins der Deutschen Zuckerindustrie. In public debate the association is known for opposing the introduction of a sugar tax in Germany, arguing that such a measure destroys jobs and value creation in rural areas and leads to higher sweetener consumption. It also runs or is linked to public information activities on dental health and caries prevention. According to the Lobbyregister of the German Bundestag, the association spent just under 300,000 euros on lobbying around the federal government in 2024. The Zuckerverbände website publishes harvest and production estimates, press releases and positions on sugar policy.

The Verein der Zuckerindustrie (VdZ) was founded on 1 September 1850 in Magdeburg as the Verein für die Rübenzuckerindustrie im Deutschen Zollverein, making it the oldest industrial association in Germany. It was established by 85 beet sugar factories, with Karl Joachim Jacob Hennige as its first chairman. On 5 April 1852, cane-sugar refiners founded a parallel body, the Verein der Raffinadeure im Zollverein und in Hannover, chaired by Eduard Joest. The beet sugar organization renamed itself in 1873 as the Verein für die Rübenzuckerindustrie des Deutschen Reichs and later merged with the refiners' association to form today's Verein der Zuckerindustrie. At various times the association was based in Hanover and later in Bonn; in 2018 it moved its headquarters from Bonn to Berlin. From 1851 to 1944 the association published the Zeitschrift des Vereins der Deutschen Zuckerindustrie. From 1975, Konrad Dankowski, a doctorate-holding agricultural economist, served as Hauptgeschäftsführer of both the Verein der Zuckerindustrie and the Wirtschaftliche Vereinigung Zucker in Bonn. The association has historically taken on the interests of the sugar industry in feed law, food law and nutrition, tax law, environmental and safety technology, and the promotion of research into sugar beet cultivation and processing. It also acts as an employers' association. In the contemporary period, the VdZ and the Wirtschaftliche Vereinigung Zucker (WVZ) operate jointly through the Zuckerverbände web presence. The WVZ is associated with the Informationskreis Mundhygiene und Ernährungsverhalten (IME), an initiative that, according to Die Zeit, claims to provide neutral information on caries prevention and dental hygiene while deliberately obscuring its industry connection. The association has been active in opposing a sugar tax in Germany, with General Manager Günter Tissen arguing that such a tax destroys jobs and value creation in rural areas and increases sweetener consumption. According to the Lobbyregister of the German Bundestag, the association spent just under 300,000 euros on lobbying around the federal government in 2024. The Zuckerverbände website continues to publish harvest and production estimates, press releases and policy positions.

• 2024

  According to the Bundestag Lobbyregister, spends just under 300,000 euros on lobbying around the federal government.

• 2018

  Moves headquarters from Bonn to Berlin.

• 1975

  Konrad Dankowski becomes Hauptgeschäftsführer of the Verein der Zuckerindustrie and Wirtschaftliche Vereinigung Zucker in Bonn.

• 1873

  Renamed Verein für die Rübenzuckerindustrie des Deutschen Reichs.

• 1852

  On 5 April, cane-sugar refiners found the Verein der Raffinadeure im Zollverein und in Hannover under Eduard Joest.

• 1851

  Begins publishing the Zeitschrift des Vereins der Deutschen Zuckerindustrie (until 1944).

• 1850

  Founded on 1 September in Magdeburg as Verein für die Rübenzuckerindustrie im Deutschen Zollverein by 85 beet sugar factories; Karl Joachim Jacob Hennige first chairman.

Germany's oldest industrial association and the central lobbying and employers' body for the German sugar-producing industry.

• Criticism over concealed industry ties of the IME dental health initiative

Read more

1. 1Startseite | Zuckerverbändezuckerverbaende.de
2. 2Geschichte der Zuckerwirtschaft | Zuckerverbändezuckerverbaende.de
3. 3Verein der Zuckerindustrie – Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Verein der Zuckerindustrie – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org