Maple syrup (Acer saccharum)

by Alan Pierce

A sap run is the sweet goodbye of winter.
It is the fruit of the equal marriage of the sun and frost.
John Burroughs, Signs and Seasons, 1886.

Introduction

The sugar maple, Acer saccharum, is a deciduous, hardwood tree native to eastern North America and the Great Lakes Region. The tree’s wood is prized for its timber and is used in the construction of cabinetry, furniture, flooring, and musical instruments. In the fall, the tree’s leaves turn riotous shades of yellow, orange, and red, attracting foliage tourists from around the world and bringing billions of dollars in revenue to eastern North America (Herbaugh 2014, Bradford n.d., Appalachian State University, 2021).

The sap of the sugar maple tree can be reduced to a sweetener, either in the form of liquid syrup or granular sugar (other species of maple are sometimes used as well, notably Acer rubrum in eastern North America and Acer macrophyllum in eestern North America). Early European settlers learned the art of making maple syrup from Native Americans and embraced the sweetener as an alternative to cane sugar, which was a luxury item in colonial North America (Crockett 1941). The association of slavery with the production of cane sugar further bolstered demand for maple syrup, particularly among abolitionists (Nearing and Nearing 1950, Lawrence and Martin 1993). The practice of sugaring was so widespread that U.S. citizens produced an average of more than 5.8 million gallons of syrup per year between 1850 and 1860 (Graham 2016), overshadowing the country’s 2021 maple syrup output by 2.4 million gallons (USDA 2021). These historical production figures are a testament to maple syrup’s value as a subsistence and trade item and are astonishing when one considers that the sap was collected by hand and produced with very primitive equipment.

Management

Maple sugar orchards, or sugarbushes, are created from natural forests by thinning non-maple species. Although sugarbush owners are encouraged to retain 25% of the sugarbush in non-maple species (Parker, Skinner and Tobi 2013, Hammonds 2017), to provide resilience to pest outbreaks and to maintain a diversity of food sources for birds and mammals, some operations ignore these guidelines. Maple trees are tapped in the spring when freezing temperatures at night and daytime temperatures above freezing create the ideal conditions for sap runs. A hole is drilled into the trunk, a tap is inserted, and the sap is collected in a bucket, or in the case of large operations, the tap feeds into a network of plastic tubing which is collected by gravity or by a vacuum pump. Once the sap is collected, it may be fed through a reverse osmosis machine to remove excess water before it is boiled in an evaporator powered by electricity, oil, or firewood. Once the syrup achieves the proper consistency, it is filtered of impurities and packed in tin, glass or plastic containers. Sugar maple products include sap water, maple sugar, maple candies, maple butter, maple vinegar, maple syrup, maple kombucha, and flavored maple syrups.

The size and intensity of maple management varies, from an acre or two to more than 20,000 acres. Maple sugarbush management often simplifies forest species composition and can create a large carbon footprint. Making maple syrup is energy intensive. In good years, it takes 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup. In poor years when sap has a lower sugar content, the amount of sap needed to produce one gallon of syrup can climb to 50 or 60 gallons, requiring greater use of fuel. Widescale use of plastic tubing further contributes to carbon emissions and the creation of micro-plastics in the environment. Introduced in the 1950s (Calouri 2020), most plastic tubing systems, which require replacement every 10-15 years or earlier (University of Vermont Extension 2018, Caluori 2020), were sent to landfills for disposal. Recycling programs for maple sugar tubing are now available, but the process is cumbersome (see University of Vermont Extension 2018) and it is unclear how much material is being recovered. The scale of the issue is enormous; it is estimated that 55 million feet of plastic tubing is used in the State of Vermont, USA alone (University of Vermont Extension 2018). However, maple sugaring prevents conversion of forest land, maintains hydrological processes, and contributes to carbon sequestration, as sugar maples may live for two to three hundred years or more. Additionally, sugarbushes serve as refugia for uncommon forest herbs that are sensitive to disturbance.

The sugar maple is vulnerable to climate change. Rustad et al. (2012) note that the start of the sugaring season in Central New England has shifted from mid-March backward to early February. In addition, climate models project a loss of suitable habitat for sugar maple in the future. Oswald et. al. (2018) project that 55-84 percent of sugar maples in Vermont will show moderate to severe climate stress over the next fifty years, depending on the amount of carbon emissions. Climate change is also implicated in crown death in sugar maples, more muted fall foliage, and shorter tapping seasons that produce lower quality syrup (Rustad et al. 2012, Bradford n.d., Oswald 2018).

Social importance of maple syrup

Maple syrup is an iconic rural product in many areas of eastern North America. Produced in the warm glow of sugar-making houses at the end of winter, the activity often provides a welcoming space for family and friends to visit and socialize. Sugarbushes and maple-tree-lined roads often define the look and layout of rural country sides. Sugaring also fits well with agricultural rhythms and rural household economies, temporally and economically complementing dairying and other agricultural activities (see Hinrichs 1998). Once sugaring season is over, many areas in the United States and Canada hold celebratory maple festivals featuring maple products, parades, arts and crafts, sugarhouse tours, music and other activities.

Maple production, markets and economic impact

Maple syrup production is highly weather-dependent. In 2023, Canada produced 10.4 million gallons of maple syrup, down nearly 40% from the 2022 season’s total of 17.4 million gallons (Statista 2024a). Maple syrup accounts for more than six percent of Canada’s farm cash receipts (Government of Canada 2023). The United States produced 4.18 million gallons of maple syrup in 2023, a drop from the 4.94 gallons produced in 2022 (Statista 2024b). . These production totals are close approximations, but at least in the case of U.S. production figures, producers and researchers believe that the annual production estimates are an undercount due to problems with surveys and omissions of small producers (Graham 2016).

In 2021, there were 6,364 maple-syrup-producing farms in Canada (Government of Canada 2023) and in 2017, the United States had an estimated 9,492 maple farms (Atlantic Corporation 2019). These figures do not provide a full picture of how many people are employed in the production of maple syrup or the manufacture of maple equipment, much less the overall economic impact of the maple industry. There are plans to study employment and the overall economic impact of sugaring in the United States, but they are still in the development stage (Cannella personal communication, Dec. 2021).

Two small studies from the United States offer some tantalizing clues to the economic clout of maple. Becot, Kolodinsky and Conner (2015) estimated that the maple industry brought in 317-33 million USD in sales to the State of Vermont (in 2013), provided 140-144 million USD in wages and profits, and provided between 2,734 and 3,169 full time equivalent jobs, including in the maple equipment manufacturing industry. Considering that the USDA (USDA 2014) estimated the total value of the maple syrup crop in Vermont in 2014 to be worth $49,430,000, this study shows how significant the maple sugaring is to the local economy. Gabe (2014) found that the maple industry in Maine contributed 27.7 million dollars to the state in 2013; with multiplier effects, Gabe estimated that the industry was worth 48.7 million dollars, created 805 full and part-time jobs and earned 25.1 million USD in labor income. These studies are dated and had low survey response rates, but nonetheless offer insights into the multifaceted value of the sugar maple tree at the local level. It is also worth noting that the maple sugaring industry in Quebec is attracting migrant workers from Latin America (Peritz 2018). This seasonal migrant work with wild products has also been seen in the floral greens and wild mushroom industries in the Pacific Northwest (Lynch and McClain 2003), and the berry harvesting industry in Scandinavia (Mesic and Woolfson 2005).

Maple syrup is sold at roadsides and farm gates in rural areas, as well as through distributors, but most maple syrup is sold in bulk, especially in the case of exports. In Canada, more than 80 percent of Quebec’s syrup is sold in bulk (Gagne 2008, Moreau 2018). According to Gagne (2008), in the year 2001, eight Quebecois buyers accounted for more than 90 percent of bulk maple syrup sales – it is unknown if this is still the case today.

Canada produces more than 75 percent of the world’s maple syrup, and the Province of Quebec, which accounts for 90% of Canada’s maple crop, is a key player in bulk maple sales and setting global prices for maple syrup. The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (PPAQ) oversees the production and trade of maple syrup in Quebec and effectively sets bulk prices for syrup globally. PPAQ uses production quotas and a Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve to keep syrup prices stable and to meet global demand. All bulk syrup producers are required to join PPAQ and all members must turn over their harvest for inspection and grading. In years of abundance, any excess syrup is deposited into the syrup reserve for future release during lean years or years with high syrup demand. Sometimes a producer may not be paid for their syrup for years until the time comes to tap the reserve. PPAQ charges members fees which pay for advertising, research, syrup grading and upkeep of the reserve. In return, members are guaranteed a high, stable price for their products. Any members attempting to sell bulk maple syrup without going through PPAQ or its registered agents are severely punished with fines. While many producers are pleased with the arrangement, some see the system as giving producers in the United States and other Canadian Provinces an unfair advantage; that is, those competitors can ride the coattails of PPAQ’s high, stable prices for maple syrup but avoid the fees and caps on production (see Moreau 2018 for a brief discussion of the issue).

In 2012-2013, thieves stole 3,000 tons of maple syrup from one of PPAQ’s reserve warehouses, valued at $18 million (Levitt 2021). Since then, security has tightened, and the reserve has played a key role in meeting global demand. After a poor harvest season in 2021, PPAQ released 50 million gallons from the reserve, providing many producers with reimbursements for past deposits (Levitt 2021). The poor maple harvest in 2023 further reduced the volume of the reserve, down from more than 100 million pounds in 2020 to less than 10 million pounds (Yousif 2024). Over the past three years, PPAQ has increased its quota of maples taps by 14 million, a move that will replenish the strategic reserve and maintain the organization’s power in the maple trade.

The value of maple syrup production in the United States in 2022 was more than 171 million US dollars (USDA 2023). Canada’s exports of maple syrup were worth more than 616 million Canadian dollars in 2022. The United States purchased nearly sixty percent of Canada’s syrup exports; other important markets for Canadian maple syrup include Germany, France, the U.K., Japan and Australia (Government of Canada 2023).

Conclusion

Maple syrup is an interesting and well-studied wild product, although many might question if maple syrup is indeed “wild” or closer to an agricultural commodity. When cane sugar and molasses became inexpensive sugar substitutes in North America in the 1800s, maple syrup was able to retain a strong market due to its unique taste and its importance to rural life in Eastern North American. Maple syrup is a case of a subsistence product evolving into a gourmet product. While maple syrup production is tracked by the governments of Canada and the United States, the total economic impact of the industry, in terms of jobs, associated products, and tourism, is still unknown.

Click here to download a summary table of the case study.

References

• Atlantic Corporation. 2019. Maple syrup and growth opportunities. Prepared for: Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. Download PDF

• Appalachian State University. 2021. The economics of fall foliage tourism in North Carolina. College of Arts and Sciences, Appalachian State University. Available here

• Becot, F., Kolodinsky, J. & Conner, D. 2015. The economic contribution of the Vermont Maple Industry. Center for Rural Studies, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT.

• Bradford, N. n.d. The leaves they are a changing. National Environmental Education Foundation. Available here

• Caluori, A. 2006. When tubing is tapped out: Recycling maple plastics. Maple Syrup Digest, June 2020, 6-12. Available here

• Cannella, M. University of Vermont Extension, personal communication, Dec. 2021.

• Crockett, W. 1941. Vermont maple sugar and syrup. Bulletin No. 38. Vermont Department of Agriculture and the Vermont Department of Publicity. Montpelier, VT.

• Gabe, T. 2014. Economic impact of Maine’s maple industry. School of Economics Staff Paper 614. University of Maine, Orono, ME.

• Gagne, I. 2008. Maple syrup production in Quebec: farmer self-determination for market control. Regoverning Markets Innovative Policy Series. IIED, London.

• Government of Canada. 2021. Statistical overview of the Canadian maple industry 2020. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Ottawa, Canada.

• Graham, G. 2016. Maple syrup production statistics: an updated report to the North American Maple Syrup Council, Burlington, VT. Download PDF

• Hammonds, T. 2017. Maintaining a healthy sugarbush. Cornell Small Farms Program. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Available here

• Herbaugh, T.M. 2014. Leaf-peeping tourism is a $3 billion business in New England. Associated Press. Available here

• Hinrichs, C.C. 1998. Sideline and lifeline: The cultural economy of maple syrup production. Rural Sociology, 63(4): 507-532.

• Lawrence, J. & Martin, R. 1993. Sweet maple: life, lore and recipes from the sugarbush. Chapters Books, Shelburne, Vermont.

• Levitt, M. 2021. Canada taps into strategic reserves to deal with massive shortage… of maple syrup. National Public Radio, 25 Nov., 2021. Available here

• Lynch, K. & McClain, R. 2003. Access, labor and wild floral greens management in Washington’s forests. GTR PNW-GTR-585. US Forest Service, Portland, OR.

• Mesic, N. & Woolfson, C. 2015. Roma berry pickers in Sweden: economic crisis and new contingents of the austeriat. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 21(1): 37-50.

• Moreau, A. 2018. Maple syrup: Quebec is hurting its producers and encouraging its competitors. Viewpoint. MEI: Ideas for a More Prosperous Society. Download PDF

• Nearing, H. & Nearing, S. 1950. The maple sugar book: together with remarks on pioneering as a way of living in the Twentieth Century. Schocken Books, New York.

• Oswald, E. et. al. 2018. The complex relationship between climate and sugar maple health: change implications in Vermont for a key northern hardwood species. Forest Ecology and Management, 422, 303-312.

• Parker, B., Skinner, M. & Tobi, D. 2013. Ecological management for sustained maple forest health and productivity. University of Vermont Entomology Research Laboratory, Burlington, VT. Download PDF

• Peritz, I. 2018. Quebec’s maple syrup farms tap foreign workers to fill labour gap. The Globe and Mail. Available here

• Rustad, L. et. al. 2012. Changing climate, changing forests: the impacts of climate change on forests of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. GTR NRS-99. U.S. Forest Service, Newtown Square, PA.

• Statista. 2024a. Maple syrup production in Canada from 2008-2023. Available here

  Statista. 2024b. Total maple syrup production in the United States from 2012-2023. Available here

• Statistics Canada. 2021. Maple products, 2021. Available here

• University of Vermont Extension. 2018. Pilot project: Recycling maple tubing. Across the Fence TV series, broadcast by WCAX, Burlington, VT. Available here

• USDA. 2014. Maple syrup production. National Agricultural Statistics Service, Harrisburg, PA. Download PDF

• USDA. 2020. Northeastern region maple syrup report. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Harrisburg, PA. Download PDF

• USDA. 2021. New York ranked second in 2021 maple syrup production. National Agricultural Statistics Service, Albany, NY. Download PDF

• USDA. 2023. Maple syrup production. National Agricultural Statistics Service, Lansing, MI. Available here

• Yousif, N. 2024. Canada’s maple syrup reserve hits 16-year low. BBC News. Available here

Additional resources

The Government of Canada tracks annual maple syrup production in all provinces. 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada publishes an annual overview of the industry.

The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers – includes statistics, overview of the organization, publications, an overview of various certification programs for maple syrup, photos.

Production of maple syrup in the United States is tracked by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The University of Vermont’s Proctor Maple Research Center is a leader in the study of maple research and education in the United States – includes descriptions of ongoing projects as well as links to Youtube videos about maple syrup production.

The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association – information on how syrup is made, maple grading, recipes.