The International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ISSCT) mourns the passing of Dr. Oscar Almazán del Olmo, who died on 3 July 2026 at the age of 86. With his passing, the sugar cane world has lost one of its most distinguished scientists, a pioneering researcher in sugar cane Co-Products and derivatives, and a passionate advocate for the diversification and sustainable development of the sugar cane industry.
For much of his remarkable career, Dr. Almazán was associated with the Instituto Cubano de Investigaciones de los Derivados de la Caña de Azúcar – Cuban Institute for Research on Sugarcane Derivatives – (ICIDCA) in Havana, Cuba, where his scientific career was deeply connected to the utilisation and valorisation of sugar cane by-products, including fermentation, single-cell protein, bioethanol, biogas and other avenues for industrial diversification. He played a prominent role in the Asociación de Técnicos Azucareros de Cuba – Association of Sugar Technicians of Cuba (ATAC), serving as its President from 1979 to 1984 and again from 1989 to 2002. He received the award of Doctor Honoris Causa in Technical Sciences from the Universidad de Oriente, Cuba in 2000. He was also recognised as an honorary member of several sugar technology organisations.