Sugar beets in the Valois 

When the root defies the cane

At first glance, sugar beet cultivation seems recent compared to its competitor, sugarcane. Facing this rival, which dates back to imperial China, the beet struggled to gain a foothold. Yet, since antiquity, philosophers such as Hippocrates described this root as having medicinal properties. However, research progressed very slowly. In the Middle Ages, the renowned French agronomist Olivier de Serres acknowledged the root's sugar content but failed to find an efficient extraction process. It was only 150 years later, on the eve of the French Revolution, that German chemists developed a high-quality extraction method. The first beet sugar factories then emerged.

Difficult geopolitical conditions

Tensions between the French and English worsened from the beginning of the 19th century.^e century. The situation reached its peak during the Battle of Trafalgar and Nelson's naval victory in 1805. France was reeling: the British success was complete. England asserted its maritime supremacy, and Napoleon sought to cripple British trade by imposing a continental blockade. But the consequences were quickly felt: staple foods, including sugar, became scarce. Yet, sugar extraction from beets was still in its infancy. The German chemist Marggraf had discovered sugar extraction fifty years earlier, and the process was gradually refined by chemists such as Achard. To address the shortage and the growing demand from the population, Napoleon encouraged research to establish an industry. It was the French chemist Quéruel who developed the first industrial extraction in 1811. His employer, Benjamin Delessert, began intensive production, and for this achievement, Napoleon awarded him the Legion of Honour!

Valois, land of beetroot

In 1811, the Oise region was required to plant 300 hectares of sugar beets. The crop experienced promising growth and was seen as an agricultural revolution. The Valois region quickly established itself as a pioneer thanks to its well-drained and fertile limestone plateaus. These advantages fostered the development of a local industry: the sugar refineries of Vauciennes and Beaurain-Trumilly left their mark on the Valois landscape. Later, the arrival of railway lines facilitated the development of trade and shaped significant local production right up to the eve of the 21st century.^e century. Even though these two sugar factories have closed their doors, their history remains etched in local memory, and the culture of beetroot endures, testifying to the link between agriculture, industry and the Valois.

Vauciennes in figures

• Area: 8,500 ha
• Specific features: sugar factory, refinery, distillery, beet pulping plant, production of pressed and dehydrated pulp
• Number of planters: 290
• Capacity:
• 8,000 tonnes/day of sugar beet
• 650 t/day of granulated sugar
• 280 t/day of dehydrated pulp
• Permanent staff: 143
• Seasonal staff: 48