Big Sugar (2005) Online

A document should not only be well made, it should also tell you something you didn't know. Big Sugar delivers on both accounts. I was totally unaware of the crimes of the sugar industry, especially present. The documentary shows how slavery and sugar production have gone hand in hand from the times of old. This part I knew. What surprised me was that slaves are still being used on the sugar fields in the Caribbean island, sugar fields owned by Americans.

The workers (shipped in from poor countries) are forced to buy their food from expensive stores, owned by the plantation owners, and their salary is so low that they can only afford to eat once a day. They are not allowed to grow vegetables and they have to work 12 hours a day, with out drinking or eating.

The documentary also shows how much power the sugar barons have in the USA. They are one of the biggest donators to the Democratic and the Republic parties, money well spent because it buys them power to prevent legislation against them and keeps sugar subsidized in the USA (the only country in the world that does that).

Big Sugar is in two parts. The first part focuses on past and present slavery. The second part draws parallels between the tobacco companies and the sugar industry (and a very convincing one too).

There are few documents out there as important as this one. A must see!!!

Very interesting eye-opener. Very well made film that makes the viewer understand that the name Big Sugar is as fitting for describing the business as Big Tobacco is to tobacco. Very similar businesses indeed. It was quite shocking to learn that the industry today probably is worse than tobacco industry, as I am aware of there are no slaves in the present tobacco industry... And shocking to learn that the industry is so heavily subsidized in the USA. It's funny that what may eventually make people use less sugar is not the corruption, lies and misuse of power that the industry represents, but instead the effect it has on their own health. Who cares about other people, specially the poor?