SugarcaneSugarcaneBy Theresa McMenomy

20 million hectares in cultivation20 million hectares in cultivation More area is devoted to sugarcane than More area is devoted to sugarcane than

most cash crops produced in the tropicsmost cash crops produced in the tropics Has very little nutritional valueHas very little nutritional value Found in almost all processed foodsFound in almost all processed foods 20% of calories consumed by Americans is 20% of calories consumed by Americans is

sugarsugar Every 2.5 days, Americans eat nearly a Every 2.5 days, Americans eat nearly a

half a kilogram (about a pound) of sugarhalf a kilogram (about a pound) of sugar

HistoryHistory

400-350 BC- Sugar referred to in Indian 400-350 BC- Sugar referred to in Indian food recipesfood recipes

55thth Century- Chinese growing and making Century- Chinese growing and making sugarsugar

66thth Century- Sugarcane cultivated in Century- Sugarcane cultivated in Persia (Invented conical sugar loaves)Persia (Invented conical sugar loaves)

Arab Expansion WestwardArab Expansion Westward(Defeat of Heraclius in 636 and Invasion of Spain in 711)(Defeat of Heraclius in 636 and Invasion of Spain in 711)

Spreading Sugar throughout the Mediterranean…Spreading Sugar throughout the Mediterranean…

Introduced sugarcane, its cultivation, the art of Introduced sugarcane, its cultivation, the art of sugar making, and a taste for its different sugar making, and a taste for its different sweetness to:sweetness to:

Sicily Sicily Cyprus Cyprus Malta Malta SpainSpainMuch of Maghrib (especially in Morocco)Much of Maghrib (especially in Morocco)RhodesRhodes

Old World PlantationsOld World Plantations

Europeans of non-Moslem Europe Europeans of non-Moslem Europe became familiar with sugar through the became familiar with sugar through the CrusadesCrusades

European Crusaders took advantage of European Crusaders took advantage of sugarcane by sugarcane by seizingseizing the sugar the sugar plantationsplantations

Produced the cane with Produced the cane with slave laborslave labor

New World PlantationsNew World Plantations Spain and Portugal’s sugarcane knowledge is owed to Spain and Portugal’s sugarcane knowledge is owed to

occupying Moorsoccupying Moors

Continued plantation tradition of slaveryContinued plantation tradition of slavery

As P. and S. initiated the sugar industry in the Atlantic As P. and S. initiated the sugar industry in the Atlantic islands just as production in Greece, Italy, Spain and islands just as production in Greece, Italy, Spain and north Africa was decreasingnorth Africa was decreasing

European demand was increasingEuropean demand was increasing

Sugar increasingly becomes less of a luxury and status Sugar increasingly becomes less of a luxury and status symbol and more commonly used symbol and more commonly used

British and French ColonistsBritish and French Colonists

By the near mid-seventeenth century, first By the near mid-seventeenth century, first considered producing sugar in the Caribbean considered producing sugar in the Caribbean

Many Colonists were small-scale cultivators of Many Colonists were small-scale cultivators of limited meanslimited means

LaborLabor: Slave, political prisoners (petty : Slave, political prisoners (petty criminals, political and religious criminals, political and religious nonconformists, labor organizer and Irish nonconformists, labor organizer and Irish revolutionaries), and debt and indentured revolutionaries), and debt and indentured servantsservants

By late 17By late 17thth Century, plantations replaced small Century, plantations replaced small farms—sharp increase of enslaved Africansfarms—sharp increase of enslaved Africans

After emancipation…Same Conditions

Continued regimentation of sugar Continued regimentation of sugar plantation routine many years after plantation routine many years after

slavery (Louisiana)slavery (Louisiana)

Loading Cane onto the Carrier en route to sugar

mill

Boiling Cane JuiceBoiling Cane Juice

U.S. ImperialismU.S. Imperialism Spanish-American War of 1898—US seized Cuba and Puerto Spanish-American War of 1898—US seized Cuba and Puerto

RicoRico 1905—US seized the D.R. (Occupied it from 1916 to 1924)1905—US seized the D.R. (Occupied it from 1916 to 1924) US capitalists controlled entire colonial Caribbean US capitalists controlled entire colonial Caribbean

Sugar Mills in the Dominican Republic (1930)

Technology ProblemsTechnology Problems3 Reasons for persistence of poverty:3 Reasons for persistence of poverty:

1.1. Results of new free market laborResults of new free market labor2.2. Fast-paced economic integration to the U.S. economyFast-paced economic integration to the U.S. economy3.3. Introduction of the latest technological advances in sugar Introduction of the latest technological advances in sugar

millsmills

Technological improvements translated into falling price margins Technological improvements translated into falling price margins between refined and raw sugar under the conditions of industrial between refined and raw sugar under the conditions of industrial competitioncompetition

Time required to refine sugar Time required to refine sugar fell from 3 weeks to 16 hoursfell from 3 weeks to 16 hours (B/c of (B/c of combined use of steam, the vacuum pan, animal charcoal, and the combined use of steam, the vacuum pan, animal charcoal, and the centrifugal machine)centrifugal machine)

Outstripped the increases in consumption and demandOutstripped the increases in consumption and demand

Sugar Trust (1887)Sugar Trust (1887) 1890-91price war caused industrial concentration that 1890-91price war caused industrial concentration that

strengthened the Sugar Trust—to control 98% of the strengthened the Sugar Trust—to control 98% of the outpost of refined sugar in the United Statesoutpost of refined sugar in the United States

Initial attacks against the trust were quieted by the US Initial attacks against the trust were quieted by the US gov’t’s reliance on big capital for the organization of the gov’t’s reliance on big capital for the organization of the WWI economyWWI economy

Populist antitrust movement declinedPopulist antitrust movement declined

1922- American Sugar Refining Company allowed to 1922- American Sugar Refining Company allowed to retain 25% interest in the National Refining sugar retain 25% interest in the National Refining sugar Company, 31% interest in the Great Western Beet Sugar Company, 31% interest in the Great Western Beet Sugar Company, and a 34% interest in the Michigan Sugar Company, and a 34% interest in the Michigan Sugar CompanyCompany

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Sugar’s strongest competitorSugar’s strongest competitor US-leading producer of HFCS (about 8% of entire US-leading producer of HFCS (about 8% of entire

sweetener market)sweetener market) Primarily industrial—Primarily industrial—

HFCS production HFCS production

is justified only if is justified only if

there is a nearby there is a nearby

production chainproduction chain Technology more Technology more

complex and more complex and more

capital intensivecapital intensive

Proletarian CauseProletarian Cause 1800- free trade turned sugar into a rare necessity of 1800- free trade turned sugar into a rare necessity of

every English personevery English person Commoners around the world struggling to stabilize their diets Commoners around the world struggling to stabilize their diets Increased purchasing but decline in nutritionIncreased purchasing but decline in nutrition

By 1900-Nearly 1/5 of the calories in the English diet were By 1900-Nearly 1/5 of the calories in the English diet were from sugarfrom sugar

““Because industrialization caused increasing Because industrialization caused increasing urbanization and urbanization entailed shifting urbanization and urbanization entailed shifting patterns of food consumption, sugar acquired patterns of food consumption, sugar acquired

increasing importance in the dietary intake of urban increasing importance in the dietary intake of urban populations”populations”

Working families replaced traditional meals with bread and Working families replaced traditional meals with bread and jam and other sugar products to save timejam and other sugar products to save time

Major Environment Major Environment ImpactsImpacts

Destruction of biodiversity—cultivated Destruction of biodiversity—cultivated entire tropical regions, e.g. islandsentire tropical regions, e.g. islands

Conversion of primary forest habitatConversion of primary forest habitat Soil erosion Soil erosion Agrochemcial useAgrochemcial use Organic matter from processing effluentsOrganic matter from processing effluents

Potential to ImprovePotential to Improve

PoorPoor Price too low to improve industry or Price too low to improve industry or

geneticsgenetics Better management practices are known Better management practices are known

but producers are set in their waysbut producers are set in their ways Subsidies for sugar beets and can and Subsidies for sugar beets and can and

market barriers in developed countries market barriers in developed countries are disincentives for producers to changeare disincentives for producers to change

Green CaneGreen Cane

Growers do not burn the foliage for harvest (Used Growers do not burn the foliage for harvest (Used in Cuba, Australia and Brazil)in Cuba, Australia and Brazil)

Avoids pollutionAvoids pollution Improves soil fertility conservationImproves soil fertility conservation Lowers or eliminates consumption of Lowers or eliminates consumption of

agrochemicalsagrochemicals Allows for the use of residues as fuel, animal feed Allows for the use of residues as fuel, animal feed

or raw materialor raw material Alternative to chemical fertilizers—recycled Alternative to chemical fertilizers—recycled

wastes and residues (filter mud) and liquid wastes and residues (filter mud) and liquid effluents as irrigated watereffluents as irrigated water

Multiple UsesMultiple Uses Sugarcane ethanolSugarcane ethanol Cane bagasse—renewable Cane bagasse—renewable

source of fibrous raw source of fibrous raw material that can replace material that can replace wood in some applications wood in some applications and be made into and be made into paper/cardboardpaper/cardboard

Wood replacement to forest Wood replacement to forest conservationconservation

Industry by-products serve Industry by-products serve as feed support for both as feed support for both ruminants and swineruminants and swine

Works CitedWorks Cited2005 Agriculture and Environment:Commodities. Electronic document, 2005 Agriculture and Environment:Commodities. Electronic document,

http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do_policy/agriculture_environment/commodities/sugarcane/http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do_policy/agriculture_environment/commodities/sugarcane/, accessed April 22, 2007., accessed April 22, 2007.

Ayala, CesarAyala, Cesar19991999 American Sugar Kingdom: The Plantation Economy of the Spanish Caribbean 1898-1934. American Sugar Kingdom: The Plantation Economy of the Spanish Caribbean 1898-1934. London: University of North Carolina Press.London: University of North Carolina Press.

Chasteen, JohnChasteen, John2006 2006 Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America.Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Classen, ConstanceClassen, Constance1996 SUGAR CANE, COCA-COLA AND HYPERMARKETS: CONSUMPTION AND SURREALISM IN THE ARGENTINE NORTHWEST. 1996 SUGAR CANE, COCA-COLA AND HYPERMARKETS: CONSUMPTION AND SURREALISM IN THE ARGENTINE NORTHWEST. InIn Cross-Cultural Cross-Cultural

Consumption: Global Markets, Local Realitities.Consumption: Global Markets, Local Realitities. David Howes, ed. Pp. 39-54. London: Routledge. David Howes, ed. Pp. 39-54. London: Routledge.

Cordoves Herrera, MarianelaCordoves Herrera, MarianelaCane, Sugar and the Environment. Electronic document, Cane, Sugar and the Environment. Electronic document, http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/X4988E/x4988e01.htmhttp://www.fao.org/docrep/005/X4988E/x4988e01.htm

Dye, AlanDye, Alan1998 1998 Cuban Sugar in the Age of Mass Production: Technology and the Economics of the Sugar Central 1899-1929.Cuban Sugar in the Age of Mass Production: Technology and the Economics of the Sugar Central 1899-1929. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Mintz, Sindey WMintz, Sindey W19851985 Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History. New York: Penguin Books.. New York: Penguin Books.

Monreal, PedroMonreal, Pedro2002 2002 Development Prospects in Cuba: An Agenda in the MakingDevelopment Prospects in Cuba: An Agenda in the Making. London: Institute of Latin American Studies.. London: Institute of Latin American Studies.

Rodrigue, John Rodrigue, John 2001 2001 Reconstruction in the Cane Fields: From Slavery to Free Labor in Louisiana’s Sugar Parishes 1862-1880Reconstruction in the Cane Fields: From Slavery to Free Labor in Louisiana’s Sugar Parishes 1862-1880. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University . Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University

Press.Press.

Schwartz, StuartSchwartz, Stuart1985 1985 Sugar Plantations in the Formation of Brazilian Society: Bahia, 1550-1835.Sugar Plantations in the Formation of Brazilian Society: Bahia, 1550-1835. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.