A Lost Chapter of History
Other than gold no single substance has had a greater hand in shaping the history - and influencing politics - in the western hemisphere than sugar.

In 1759, during the Seven Year's War, England captured Canada, Guadeloupe and Martinique from France. The two 'sugar' islands (Guadelope and Martinique) were among France's most valuable possessions. During the negotiations for peace in 1763 England agreed to give back some of the captured territories.

Canada was no economic match for the highly prized Caribbean islands. Guadeloupe alone produced forty-three times more revenue than Canada, a backwater land with a struggling fur trade. Even France didn't want it back.

Alderman 'Sugar Cane' Beckford was rumoured to be one of the richest men in the world.

England's powerful sugar lobby was led by Alderman William Beckford, a man of immense wealth. He felt that the French sugar islands would increase competition with his own sugar growing business. Beckford and his associates wielded an enormous influence on the government to ensure that they would get the outcome they wanted.

In the end, the British parliament choose to keep Canada. France celebrated saying that England had traded sugar for snow.

Denis Vaugeios, former Quebec cultural affairs minister, has researched this little known story of Canada's past. "When we look into history a little bit, sometimes we search for complex explanations, we search for heroes, we search for all sorts of complex, learned explanations. The truth is often very simple."

Environmentalists claim that sugar production has ruined the ecosystem in the Florida Everglades.

A Sugar Dynasty in the U.S.
The powerful sugar lobby continues to exert an influence in politics today. In the U.S. the sugar industry's power is concentrated in the Florida Everglades, home to three big sugar plantations.

Environmentalists have accused the sugar industry of despoiling the land and polluting the environment there. Water running off from the farms is high in phosphorus and, environmentalists say, has pushed the ecosystem of Florida Bay into crisis.

One of big sugar plantations is owned by the Fanjul's, a sugar growing family exiled from Cuba. The two brothers, Jose Pepe and Alfie, give generously to both political parties.

Pepe Fanjul says the media is biased with regards to his business practices. "You are trying to say look at the way Fanjul lives and he has a nice car and the Florida Crystals building. That's you're story. You have written it. Nothing I can do about it."

The Sugar Tax
In 1996 vice-president Al Gore proposed a one cent a pound tax to clean up the Florida Everglades. Hours later a furious Fanjul phoned Bill Clinton at the White House interrupting him during a visit with his mistress Monica Lewinsky. The proposed tax was dropped.

During the 2004 campaign both parties received 3.1 million in campaign contributions from the sugar industry. Congress voted for a 1.4 billion dollar subsidy. The Fanjul's share is said to be $65 million, after having donated $450,000 to the candidates.

Author Hiaasen has been an outspoken critic of the sugar industry. "That's what it's all about in this country is how much money you can generate for a candidate and that's what gets you in the door. That's what gets your phone call answered when you're the President and you're in the middle of a romantic assignation in the Oval Office."

Congressman Dan Miller: "I'm not sure why they changed, I know a lot of media were questioning them on it. Money buys influence in Washington, there's no question about it."

The Sugar Subsidy
Almost all of the sugar produced in Florida is sold in the U.S. at three time the price the rest of the world pays for sugar. Critics say the U.S. government allows the domestic sugar industry to maintain a monopoly. Cheaper sugar produced in poorer countries is kept out.

Republican congressman Dan Miller from Florida has vowed to end the subsidy to sugar producers. In 2001 he co-sponsored a bill that would bring about an end to the program (see the bill). But on the day of the vote, five of his co-sponsors voted against the bill at the last minute.

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