Sugar beet, cultivated Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B. vulgaris cultivars, such as beetroot and chard, share a common wild ancestor, the sea beet (Beta vulgaris maritima).

In 2009 France, the United States, Germany, Russia and Turkey were the world's five largest sugar beet producers; however, in 2010-2011, North America, Western Europe and Eastern Europe did not produce enough sugar from sugar beets, and were all net importers of sugar. The US harvested 1,004,600 acres (4,065 km²) of sugarbeets in 2008. In 2009 sugar beets accounted for 20% of the world's sugar production.