How Sugar is Made - the History
Source from: Sucrose
It is thought that cane sugar was first used by man in Polynesia from
where it spread to India. In 510 BC the Emperor Darius of what was
then Persia invaded India where he found "the reed which gives honey
without bees". The secret of cane sugar, as with many other of man's
discoveries, was kept a closely guarded secret whilst the finished
product was exported for a rich profit.
It was the major expansion of the Arab peoples in the seventh century
AD that led to a breaking of the secret. When they invaded Persia in
642 AD they found sugar cane being grown and learnt how sugar was made.
As their expansion continued they established sugar production in other
lands that they conquered including North Africa and Spain.
Sugar was only discovered by western Europeans as a result of the Crusades in the 11th
Century AD. Crusaders returning home talked of this "new spice" and
how pleasant it was. The first sugar was recorded in England in 1099.
The subsequent centuries saw a major expansion of western European trade
with the East, including the importation of sugar. It is recorded, for
instance, that sugar was available in London at "two shillings a pound"
in 1319 AD. This equates to about US$100 per kilo at today's prices so
it was very much a luxury.
In the 15th century AD, European sugar was refined in
Venice, confirmation that even then when quantities were small, it was
difficult to transport sugar as a food grade product. In the same
century, Columbus sailed to the Americas, the "New World". It is
recorded that in 1493 he took sugar cane plants to grow in the
Caribbean. The climate there was so advantageous for the growth of the
cane that an industry was quickly established.
By 1750 there were 120 sugar refineries operating in Britain. Their
combined output was only 30,000 tons per annum. At this stage sugar was
still a luxury and vast profits were made to the extent that sugar was
called "white gold". Governments recognised the vast profits to be made
from sugar and taxed it highly. In Britain for instance, sugar tax in
1781 totalled £326,000, a figure that had grown by 1815 to £3,000,000.
This situation was to stay until 1874 when the British government, under
Prime Minister Gladstone, abolished the tax and brought sugar prices
within the means of the ordinary citizen.
Sugar beet was first identified as a source of sugar in 1747. No
doubt the vested interests in the cane sugar plantations made sure that
it stayed as no more than a curiosity, a situation that prevailed until
the Napoleonic wars at the start of the 19th century when
Britain blockaded sugar imports to continental Europe. By 1880 sugar
beet had replaced sugar cane as the main source of sugar on continental
Europe. Those same vested interests probably delayed the introduction
of beet sugar to England until the First World War when Britain's sugar
imports were threatened.
Today's modern sugar industry is still beset with government
interference at many levels and throughout the world. The overall
pattern can be seen by investigating the mid 1990s' position in the
interactive map on the Introduction page.
Annual consumption is now running at about 120 million tons and is
expanding at a rate of about 2 million tons per annum. The European
Union, Brazil and India are the top three producers and together account
for some 40% of the annual production. However most sugar is consumed
within the country of production and only approximately 25% is traded
internationally.
One of the most important examples of governmental actions is within
the European Union where sugar prices are so heavily subsidised that
over 5 million tons of white beet sugar have to be exported annually and
yet a million tons of raw cane sugar are imported from former colonies.
This latter activity is a form of overseas aid which is also practised
by the USA. The EU's over-production and subsequent dumping has now
been subjected to GATT requirements which should see a substantial
cut-back in production over the next few years.
Big Sugar Sweet, White & Deadly by: Brian McKenna
Documentary about Big Sugar, from it's early days with ties to slavery to modern times with it's detrimental effects on the everglades and political ties. This is both part 1 and part 2. Written & Directed by: Brian McKenna. Produced by:Galafilm in 2005.
As good as this is, it barely touches on the negative effects it has on Florida residents, poisoning the water supply, endangering animals and plant species etc... for more information I very highly recommend reading Keri Hendry's article: http://floridacrackercrumbs.wordpress.com/2008/06/01/raising-cane-a-history-o...
Big Sugar Sweet, White & Deadly by: Brian McKenna
More information on Sugar by Dr Mercola:
Is Sugar Toxic? - Articles - Mercola.com
The Dangers of Sugar: It's Just as Addictive as Alcohol
The Toxic Truth: Sugar Is Linked to Childhood Obesity
The 76 Dangers of Sugar to Your Health - Articles
Is Science on Toxicity of Sugar New? - The Carb Syndrome Project
“Dr. Mercola” - Is Sugar Toxic? - Home - Gary Null - Your Guide
The Toxic Truth About Sugar -- is it Really a Poison?
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