Who among us has not enjoyed the transient pleasures of a little sugar? A bite of biscuit, a slice of cake, even the simple act of stirring sugar into a cup of something warm—all these constitute a deeply individual moment, a tiny space of solitude in the hectic race of humanity. Worldwide, people enjoy a sugar rush, which they hope ,will pass. The global consumption of sugar crossed 178 million metric tons in 2024—but, in fact, the impact of sugar and its sibling, chocolate, stays with us forever.

Sugar's planetary history is remarkable. From being a locally grown product, it has expanded to 65 million acres worldwide; a dozen countries use more than 25% of their arable land to grow it. Alongside cattle ranching, 80% of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down for growing sugarcane. Once planted, it takes 25 gallons of water to produce one pound of cane sugar—that's a mind-boggling 34 liters per teaspoon. Meanwhile, the global chocolate market has caused the deforestation of vast stretches worldwide; cocoa decimated 2.3 million hectares just between 2001 and 2015. These industries further emit greenhouse gases, warming air and releasing chemicals into land and water, harming ecology and species.

Alongside, sugar and chocolate have bitter social histories. Both stem from pasts of enslavement; their global boom shows colonialism gleaming in shiny wrappers of business. These transplanted entire families—in a bitter-sweet twist, the ancestors of V.S. Naipaul, the Indian-origin writer, were taken as indentured labour from Uttar Pradesh to Trinidad to grow sugar. Helpless child labourers still work in cocoa farms, spraying pesticides and carrying sacks of goodies. Ironically, commodities which harm earth and vulnerable communities ultimately catch up with everybody—many of the world's deadliest diseases, diabetes to cardiovascular illness, come from these.