The proposal to create UNALA emerged in 2017 and was formally consolidated on December 2, 2020, as a private, non-profit organization bringing together the main stakeholders of the sugarcane and sugar beet agroindustry in the region. At its inception, it was composed of organizations and companies from Argentina (Centro Azucarero Argentino), Brazil (UNICA), Chile (Empresas Iansa), Colombia (Asocaña), Costa Rica (LAICA), El Salvador (DIZUCAR), Guatemala (Asazgua), Mexico (CNIAA), Nicaragua (ESASA), and the Dominican Republic (Consorcio CAEI).
Since its creation, The Association of Latin American Sugar Producers – UNALA has worked with a clear vision: to consolidate a united, sustainable Latin American sugar sector with its own voice on the global stage, capable of representing regional interests amid deep transformations across the energy, economic, and food systems.
During its first five years, UNALA has strengthened its international presence
In 2022, UNALA held its first General Assembly in Miami, United States, where the admission of PERUCAÑA as its eleventh member was officially announced. That same year, during the Executive Committee meeting in São Paulo, Brazil, the first annual work plan was approved, establishing strategic priorities, objectives, and indicators for 2023. The prioritized areas were: (1) communication on sugar and health, (2) sustainability, and (3) renewable energies. These guidelines were reaffirmed during the recent Executive Committee meeting held in Cali, Colombia, on November 6 and 7, 2025.
Membership continued growing in 2023 with the incorporation of AZUCALPA (la Asociación de Azúcares y Alcoholes de Panamá) during the Assembly in Buenos Aires; FENAZÚCAR (la Federación de Azucareros del Ecuador) joined at the Assembly held in Lima, Peru, in 2024; and ALUR (Alcoholes del Uruguay) was admitted during the 2025 Assembly in Panama City. Today, UNALA brings together members from fourteen countries, collectively representing approximately 30% of global sugar production and 30% of global ethanol production.
UNALA and Its Most Notable Events
Prior to the General Assembly held in March 2024 in Lima, Peru, UNALA organized its first public event. The event, “The Sugarcane Agroindustry as an Engine for Development,” highlighted the sector’s role in job creation and its contribution to the decarbonization of economies through bioethanol production.
That same year, UNALA took a significant step by organizing the event “Energy, Biofuels, Water, and Agroindustry: Charting Sustainable Pathways Between Europe and Latin America Toward a Climate-Neutral Economy,” held at the European Parliament in Brussels. This gathering strengthened the biregional relationship to advance the energy transition together.
In 2025, UNALA, as a member of the United Nations Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Network, presented seventeen case studies documenting the most important contributions of its members to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), positioning the Latin American sugar sector as a key player within the global sustainability agenda.
This collective effort was led by the Sustainability Committee, which has organized prominent in-person meetings with broad participation in Colombia (2023), the Dominican Republic (2024), and Guatemala (2025). The purpose of these meetings has been to exchange best practices in sustainability, and ALUR is expected to host the committee in 2026.
Here’s to Five More Years!
These milestones, among many others, reflect the collective work and cooperation of the fourteen countries that make up UNALA, united by a shared purpose: to drive a modern, innovative agroindustry committed to the environmental, economic, and social well-being of the region.
Looking ahead, The Association of Latin American Sugar Producers – UNALA reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting actions, programs, and strategies that generate energy and development for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Here’s to another five, ten, and many more years to come!