Sugar is sweet, seductive, addictive - but built on human suffering. This feature-length reveals how an enticing luxury became the engine of a global system powered by slavery, exploitation and environmental destruction, a legacy still shaping the world today. From the 19th-century slave plantations to modern refineries in the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Reunion, India, South Africa and Europe, the series traces how sugar fuelled colonial empires, drove some of the worst aspects of international trade and commerce, and left deep social and ecological scars that are still present in labour abuses and exhausted landscapes today. Combining powerful testimony, rare archival material, expert interviews, and on-the-ground reporting, the series exposes the true cost of our centuries-long obsession with sugar, while at the same time spotlighting communities fighting to reclaim land, dignity and fair means of production. The series asks a crucial question: have we ever really escaped the bitter curse behind the world’s sweetest commodity? #sugar #documentary #aljazeeraenglish #aljazeera #slavery #history #colonialism #science #ecology #labour #southafrica #europe #dominicanrepublic #india #brazil #trade #economy #environment #deforestation #culture
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lets also never forget about the 1300 year old TRANS SAHARAN/ARAB SLAVE STRADE which kickstarted black slavery!
Excellent documentary.
The first crack cocaine!😮
Wow my nan was born in 1920. My great nan could have been born a slave.
Al Jazeera also needs to do a documentary on the Arab slave trade involving African nations. It eclipsed the 9 to 12 million people trafficked to the Americas.
Great tips, thanks for sharing!
💰sacks
This is by far one of the most educative documentaries I've watched. The history of sugar is quite intricate; with slavery, colonisation, forced labour, human exploitation, racism, poverty, industrialisation, rural-urban migration, mass emigration, environmental degradation, among others featuring strongly. Thank you for this instructive video. It was with my time.
There is a book called Sweetness and Power by Sidney Mintz... an excellent ethnographic study around the history and influence of sugar.
As an American, we don't learn about this in school.
Fantastic documentary, thank you!!!!
Sugar is not good for our health ! Boycott it ! Don't buy sugar that kill you all slowly !
1:29:14 Environmental racism
nothing has changed
What planet are they from Not here
Thank You. Richmond, Virginia---USA
This documentary really puts things into perspective. It’s easy to take everyday things like sugar for granted, but learning how deeply it’s tied to systems of slavery and exploitation is eye-opening. The link to the Haitian Revolution makes it even more powerful.people resisted and reshaped history despite unimaginable conditions. Definitely a reminder that the past is still shaping the world we live in today.
The Hacking of the American mind! The toxic affects of sugar on humans is exponential, and tragic
Très bon documentaire, bien monté, bien fait, en général excellent contenu. Ce serait intéressant que Al Jazeera aussi passe du temps à travailler sur un documentaire sur la traite d'esclaves arabo-musulmane
Thank the British for that