22: Sugar Flashcards
How do sugarcane and sugar beets differ in botany and climate?
Sugarcane: Monocot, grass family, thrives in tropical climates.
Sugar beet: Dicot, amaranth family, grows in temperate regions.
How did sugarcane influence global trade and colonialism?
Its value led to large-scale plantations in colonies (e.g., Caribbean, Brazil), boosting colonial economies and reshaping global trade.
What’s the link between sugarcane and the transatlantic slave trade?
Sugarcane’s labour demands fueled mass enslavement. Enslaved Africans worked in brutal conditions with high mortality rates.
How did British tea demand reshape agriculture and trade?
Britain faced a silver drain trading with China for tea, leading to Indian tea plantations and opium exports to China—shifting global trade patterns.
How did sugar refining technology evolve?
Originated in India (~3000 YA), spread via Persians and Arabs, reached Europe through the Crusades—tech included juice extraction, boiling, and drying.
How do government subsidies affect sugar and HFCS production?
Subsidies led to overproduction and lower prices, especially in beet sugar and HFCS—this affects global markets and worker wages.
What is wet milling and why is it important?
A process to break corn into components (starch, fibre, etc.)—vital for making high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
What effects does sugar have on the brain and body?
Sugar triggers dopamine release in reward pathways. Over time, tolerance builds. The brain-gut axis also influences cravings and metabolism.
How are subsidised foods linked to poor health?
Diets high in subsidised, calorie-dense foods (like corn and sugar) are correlated with obesity and other health risks due to affordability and overconsumption.
