Sugar: A Bitter Pill?

Every man, woman and child in the UK eats an average 40kg of sugar per year, and global sugar production is 165 million tonnes per year and rising. What kind of damage is this level of consumption doing to our health and the environment? Who wins and losers from our sweet tooth? And if we cut down, or even quit, who would be hardest hit – big business or small farmers? These are just some of the issues tackled in the Food Ethics Council’s latest magazine ‘Sugar: a bitter pill?’

Experts assess the environmental, development and social costs of producing, trading and eating sugar. Sidney Mintz, author of the seminal book ‘Sweetness and power’ writes a fascinating introduction, charting the history of sugar and asking where next for this champion commodity.

Rebecca May (WWF-UK) and Oliver Cheesman examine the environmental impacts of sugar cane production, film maker Amy Serrano expose human rights abuses, and Ben Richardson and David Phillips dissect the balance power in the sugar trade.

Adam Drewnowski takes a hard-hitting look at cheap calories and Neville Rigby provides a compelling account of shenanigans behind the scenes at the WHO. Sue Davies analyses breakfast cereals, Jack Winkler examines the future of public health policy in the face of an obesity crisis, and Miriam Boscarsly reveals sugar’s addictive qualities.

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Contents

From the editor | Tom MacMillan
Sugar: old champion, new contenders | Sidney Mintz

The environment
Sugar production | Oliver Cheesman
Sustainable sugarcane production | Rebecca May
The Better Sugar Cane Standard | David Willers

Biofuels
Biofuels: sugar may not always be so sweet | Jeffrey A. McNeely

Human rights
The Sugar Babies | Amy Serrano

The big question
Sugar: an unhealthy addiction? | Alison Boyd | Nick Vink | Dr Susan Coldwell | Julia Clark | Ian Bretman | Nick Wells | Sue Davies

Power and trade
Refined power | Ben Richardson
Global sugar and fair trade | David Phillips
Sugar reform | Mariann Fischer Boel
UK sugar production | Carl Atkin
The persistence of sugar | Michael Heasman

Consumption
Sugar consumption and public health | Neville Rigby
Global obesity trends | Adam Drewnowski
Sugar addiction | Miriam Boscarsly
Where next for public health strategies? | Jack Winkler

Regular features
Letters and news
Book reviews
Restaurant review | Clare Devereux