Food And Film For Thought: The Price of Sugar

Film: The Price Of Sugar

While we cannot all  make war on every ingredient or provenance of every culinary utensil in our kitchens, I still think it’s good to be aware of food policies — both in the US and internationally. So, every month, I’ll include some food-related film, article, or books  that educated or entertained me.  This documentary and article pushed me to pledge to purchase only Fair Trade Sugar. 

First up is the documentary The Price of  Sugar, which exposes the inhumane treatment of Haitian sugar cane workers in the Dominican Republic – and the journey of the Spanish priest who has dedicated his life to helping them. It is available for viewing on YouTube. 

The History of The Price of Sugar in the USA

I’m including this  link to a succinct but thorough article  from the  Harvard Kennedy School Review that will also shake up your thoughts about our sweet obsession.  American consumers are paying an extortionate (think of it as an additional tax) price for sugar  because its production is artificially constrained. And protective pricing enriches sugar-producing cartels, which are immune to regulations. This is all good food for thought…