Cultivation
Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) is grown in regions with a moderate and subtropical climate. The main producing countries are France, Germany, USA and Russia. In 2008, almost 227 million tons of sugar beet were harvested worldwide.
Since the middle of the 18th century sugar beet has been developed to yield a higher sugar content. This increased from originally 7% to about 18% today.
For a long period, sugarcane represented the only plant source of sugar. Today, sugar beet provides about 45% of the world's sugar production.