About ASSBT
History of the ASSBT
In the mid-1930s, the need for a formal organization that would facilitate communication among diverse facets of the beet sugar industry was identified. An informal group known as “The Sugar Beet Roundtable,” was formed and led by T. G. “Guy” Stewart, with roundtable meetings held in 1935 and 1937.
The American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists (ASSBT) was officially created on January 13, 1938, at the first ASSBT meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. By 1940, there were 256 ASSBT members, and by ASSBT’s 25th anniversary, 633 members representing 20 countries were part of ASSBT. The organization currently has 274 members across 15 countries, representing agriculture, processing, and other interests. The mission of ASSBT is to foster all phases of beet sugar research, promote the dissemination of resultant scientific knowledge, to maintain high standards of ethics, and to cooperate with other organizations having objectives beneficial to the beet sugar industry.
Meetings and Publications
Formal communication of beet sugar research occurs through the 1) Biennial meeting, 2) Journal of Sugar Beet Research and 3) Other society publications (e.g., newsletter) and proceedings. The first biennial meeting was held from Jan. 11-13, 1938, in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the past 85 years, these meetings have been held at various locations across the U.S. and Canada, bringing researchers from across the globe together to exchange their research findings in an oral or poster format. Beginning in 2021, the ASSBT Board of Directors received feedback from ASSBT members and worked to reinvigorate the Journal of Sugar Beet Research (JSBR). The Board of Directors rolled out the new Journal format in January 2023, along with a new JSBR webpage, launched in June 2023. The new webpage and the expansion of the types of articles accepted in the Journal (peer-reviewed manuscripts, technical reports, re-published abstracts, and ASSBT meeting abstracts) seeks to facilitate the exchange of information and improve access to the latest research in the beet sugar industry. With this change, meeting proceedings will no longer be accepted; however, meeting proceedings from 1938 to 2021 can be accessed on our Past Proceedings page. For more information on the JSBR, click here.
Membership
Membership is paid during registration for the Biennial meetings. All persons, associations, corporations, cooperatives, and other organizations interested in the advancement of knowledge concerning sugar beet production or beet sugar processing are eligible for ASSBT membership. If you were unable to make the 2023 ASSBT meeting or are interested in becoming a member, please contact the ASSBT office at 303.832.4460. Click on the button below to download information on the benefits of ASSBT membership.
43rd Biennial ASSBT meeting
Please mark your calendar for the 43rd Biennial ASSBT meeting in Long Beach, California from February 23-27, 2025. For updates on the upcoming meeting visit the Upcoming Biennial Meeting page on the “MEETINGS” tab on the ASSBT website.