[Beetroot sugar and the development of its industry; from the first works until the postwar period 1914-1918]

The research on beetroot sugar began in Germany with Marggraf and Achard and gained in importance in France during the Continental Blocade, more directly with the work of Chaptal and Delessert. The industry born from this sugar, the only product which could favorable replace cane sugar from the West Indian colonies, was developed thanks to Napoleon I. The Emperor brought his support and large grants to the manufacturers who had launched themselves in the production of this sugar substitute. If Chaptal, a former minister who was certainly one of the most significant pioneers in this field, was a beetroot grower and sugar manufacturer on the grounds of Chanteloup near Amboise; numerous other industrialists established themselves in France in areas of beetroot cultivation which quickly occupied vast surfaces in certain regions. It is the history of beetroot sugar, its economic importance and the beetroot industry in France, from its origins until the end of the First World War, that we will present here.