Building a clearer picture of the maple forest
Maple forests store carbon, while syrup production involves energy and other inputs. To better understand both sides of that picture, IMSI’s Environmental Resilience Committee gathered information directly from producers across the United States and Canada.
Approximate totals reported across participating producers in the United States and Canada. These figures describe the survey sample, not the entire industry.
A starting point for better evidence
In December 2025 and January 2026, producers shared details about the size and makeup of their sugarbushes, how much syrup they made, and whether they used reverse osmosis. The committee wanted a broader, producer-informed basis for studying carbon emitted during production and carbon stored by maple forests.
These responses help establish the scope of the work. They are not, on their own, a measurement of the industry’s carbon footprint or proof that maple production is carbon neutral. Further analysis is needed before drawing those conclusions.
The survey questions
Explore the main measures used to describe production and the forest. The committee can use these inputs to develop a more grounded estimate of carbon emissions and sequestration.
Number of taps
Producers reported how many taps they operated. Taken together, the responses represented approximately 1.4 million taps.
About this survey
The committee received 100 electronic responses and 27 phone responses from producers in the United States and Canada. The approximate totals above describe the participating operations, not the entire maple industry. This page summarizes the survey scope and selected question topics; it does not present the committee’s carbon calculations.