Committee Description

The year is 2012. Decades of dominance, and near-monopolization, of the maple syrup industry have led to significant cracks in its foundation. A mass shortage in 2008 prompted the creation of a strategic reserve, which was quickly overwhelmed in 2011 by a wave of overproduction. Prices plummeted, and emergency storage facilities were rushed into service. While the immediate issue of storage has been addressed, deeper concerns about unchecked production and price volatility remain. Tensions are rising within the PPAQ, with some members quietly considering an exit from the cartel due to fears of long-term instability.

Compounding these concerns is the underwhelming performance of the latest international marketing efforts. While maple syrup sales have seen notable growth across the U.S., attempts to expand beyond North America have stumbled. Culinary contests in Japan have yielded limited exposure but negligible financial return. Education campaigns abroad have failed to replicate the success seen in Canada, and global consumer understanding of maple syrup remains shallow. With overproduction already an issue, plateauing profits are only intensifying the anxiety within the organization.

However, perhaps the most alarming development is what the media is calling “The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.” More than $30 million CAD worth of syrup has mysteriously vanished from a newly constructed storage facility. The product remains unaccounted for, and the theft has rapidly evolved into both a financial disaster and a public relations nightmare. Many within the cartel fear the loss represents more than just product, it threatens their legacy. With farms still recovering from the Great Recession, this loss hits especially hard.

Now, with market instability, stagnant international growth, and a major theft hanging over them, the PPAQ faces one of its most difficult chapters. Delegates must come together to address these escalating challenges before the once-mighty maple syrup empire begins to crumble under its own weight.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Paul Rafael Malpartida Durroux at spec@ssuns.org

Jackson Demarco

Chair

Lou Didelot

Vice Chair