Interview with Dr. Fred Zeller

Dr. Fred Zeller studied agricultural economics at the Technical University of Munich, where he earned his doctorate with a thesis on global trade in sugar. After completing his doctorate, he worked as an export and sales manager in Ochsenfurt from 1987, where he gained extensive industry knowledge and witnessed firsthand the merger of Süddeutsche Zucker AG and Zuckerfabrik Franken GmbH to form Südzucker AG Mannheim/Ochsenfurt. 

In 1995, he took over the management of Süddeutsche Zuckerrübenverwertungs-Genossenschaft eG, which acts as the central agricultural holding company for beet growers in southern Germany and is the majority shareholder of Südzucker. From 2010, he was also managing director of the Association of South German Sugar Beet Growers, where he represented the interests of around 11,000 growers. In both roles, he worked closely with Südzucker AG, particularly in the areas of raw material procurement and sugar production. He retired in 2024 but is still considered a recognized expert on the economic and political aspects of the sugar industry.