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Sweet Slavery: The Hidden Price of Our Sugar Consumption Revealed!
The ARTE film reveals the dark history of sugar, highlights slavery and health risks from sugar consumption.
Sweet Slavery: The Hidden Price of Our Sugar Consumption Revealed!
Sugar is not only a common source of energy, but also a controversial food whose excessive consumption can have serious health consequences. According to prisma.de, excessive sugar consumption leads to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, it can even damage brain cells and impair memory. Despite these risks, sugar consumption continues to grow, fueled primarily by excessive advertising and hidden sugar in many foods.
In this context, the ARTE film “Sugar: The tragic history behind the sweet addictive substance” by Mathilde Damoisel highlights both the positive and negative sides of sugar consumption. The historical dimension of the issue is particularly shocking: around 12.5 million black slaves were transported from West Africa to sugar cane plantations in America and the Caribbean during the colonial period. Despite the formal abolition of slavery, modern slave relationships in sugar cane cultivation are still a reality in some regions, such as the USA, Brazil and the Caribbean.
Modern slavery in sugar cane cultivation
Workers report extreme physical stress and false promises from companies. These circumstances are in stark contrast to the cheerful depictions in advertising, which propagate a distorted picture of the reality of workers' lives. The documentary not only shocks with these facts, but also makes you think about your own consumption habits.
The social discussion surrounding sugar also has a broader dimension. An article on furche.at points out that sugar is viewed as one of the greatest sins of capitalism. This highlights the complex connections between consumer behavior, health risks and social injustices.
Examining these topics is not only important for historians, but also affects every one of us who wants to critically examine our consumer behavior. The connection between sugar, health and ethical standards in production is a topic that needs to be on the agenda more than ever these days.