The bitter cost of sweetness

The bitter cost of sweetness

Washington has a very Pakistan-like sugar problem, and for decades, US citizens have paid a premium for their home-grown sugar. Inspired by Soviet practices, the US sugar programme, authorised by the 2002 Farm Bill, sets a minimum price level for sugar – one that is significantly higher than international prices – while simultaneously imposing tariff-driven controls on sugar imports. The result: wealth transfer from consumers to protected produc…

The bitter side of tea

Tea is the most famous beverage not only in Malawi but in the whole world. In fact, almost all households in Malawi drink tea at least every morning. Most Malawians know sweet stories of tea, but deep down in the estates where the beverage is grown, there are untold stories of pain and misery. In January this year, Vitumbiko Mumba, then Minister of Labour, toured the country’s tea producing districts of Nkhata Bay, Mulanje and Thyolo to apprecia…