France is the world’s second-largest producer of sugar beet after Russia. In 2018, no fewer than 95.5 tonnes of beetroot were harvested per hectare! Unlike sugar cane, which grows in tropical environments (Brazil, India, China, Cuba, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, etc.), sugar beet prefers temperate climates. Therefore, it is produced a great deal in Europe, and in France in particular, where the wet weather between April and September and the sunny periods just before spring harvest favour strong growth. In Europe, sugar cane is only grown in Madeira or in southern Spain, and takes 8 to 22 months to reach maturity.