ENVIRONMENT
Sugar is the most polluting crop in the world. The Everglades, in Florida, is the most threatened National Park in the USA, due to all the chemicals used in sugar production.
Over a decade ago, taxpayers paid a significant portion of the $360 million in clean-up costs associated with sugar industry pollution in the Florida Everglades, despite private sugar companies being identified as the primary contributors (see WorldAtlas.com and ABC TV Foreign Correspondence, 24 July 2012).
Wildlife in these areas continues to be threatened by toxic pollutants, including runoff pesticides and fertilizers in sugar production, as documented by environmental studies and governmental reports (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2013). In Hawaii and Florida, smoke from burning sugarcane fields has been linked to high incidences of asthma and other respiratory ailments among nearby residents, according to state health department data and peer-reviewed studies (Hawaii State Department of Health, 2015; Journal of Environmental Health, 2016).
Several studies have raised concerns that exposure to toxic chemicals produced during sugarcane cultivation and processing may elevate the risk of leukemia and other health problems among children living nearby (see Environmental Health Perspectives, 2013).
In Queensland, Australia, significant amounts of pesticides and runoff from sugar production and other agricultural industries leach into the ocean, posing a threat to the Great Barrier Reef's ecosystem, as documented by the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (AIMS, 2019; GBRMPA, 2022).
CONSUMPTION
Sugar consumption is an important factor in public health. A high sugar diet is linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, poor dental health, high blood pressure, lymphatic and respiratory illnesses, cancer, gut/brain/behavioral problems, immunodeficiency, and obesity. Throughout most of human history, consumption of refined sugar was nil. Then, about 2,000 years ago, with the discovery of sugarcane, things began to change. By 1700, the average per capita consumption of refined sugar in the developed world was approximately 4 pounds per annum, which accounted for less than 1% of caloric intake. By 1800, it was approximately 18 pounds per annum. By 1900, per capita consumption of refined sugar had risen to 60 pounds per annum.
In 1985, world sugar consumption was 98 million metric tons, according to the World Health Organization. In 2008, the average American consumed 136.18 pounds (61.9 kg) per year of sugar and caloric sweeteners, excluding artificial sweeteners.
This total included 65.23 pounds (29.65 kg) of refined sugar and 68.2 pounds (31 kg) of corn-derived sweeteners (World Health Organization, 2009; USDA, 2010). By 2010, world refined sugar consumption soared to 160 million metric tons. In 2011, the world produced 168 million metric tons of sugar, and the average person consumed approximately 52.8 pounds (24kg) of sugar and 72.82 pounds (33.1 kg) in industrialized
countries.
In 2011-2012, the Australian Health Survey found that Australians were consuming an average of 60g of sugar each day, equivalent to 14 teaspoons of white sugar.
On October 19, 2013, a study by researchers at the University of Wollongong and University of Sydney, presented at the annual congress of the Australia and New Zealand Obesity Society, revealed that more than half of young Australians were exceeding the recommended daily intake of sugar.
Dr. Louise Gill, a lead researcher, explained, “Research in this area is hindered in Australia because food composition datasets do not distinguish between total and added sugars.” As of 2025, this issue remains unresolved because of ongoing industry influence on food labeling and policy (see Dr. Louise Gill, University of Wollongong, 2013).
By 2013, over 382 million people worldwide had diabetes at a cost of over $548 billion. The International Diabetes Federation predicts it will rise to 592 million by 2035.
In 2013, China, India, the USA, the Pacific Islands, Micronesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar had the highest amount of cases per capita. There are three types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes.
Between 2014/2015, worldwide production of refined sugar reached 175.1 million metric tons, and sugar consumption exceeded 176 million metric tons. Though down a bit in 2017, global sugar consumption remained high at 171.87 million metric tons.
In 2025, an estimated 177.33 million metric tons of sugar were consumed globally, a 15% increase from 2011. (UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Countries that consumed the most sugar in tonnes, 2025
India (28,527,000), the United States (22,701,000), China (12,891,000, Russia (8977,000), Indonesia (8,467,000).
Countries that consumed the most sugar per capita, 2025
Luxembourg (166 kg), Fiji (136 kg), Surinam (125 kg), Montenegro (112 kg), Australia (103 kg), Iceland (102 kg), Lithuania (96.8), Ireland (96.2).
According to WorldAtlas.com, a person in the United States consumes 126.4 grams of sugar daily (approximately 1/4 pound), which is more than 10 times the recommended daily intake. Germany has the second-highest sweet tooth with an average of about 102.9 grams. The Netherlands is the third, at 102.5 grams daily. Ireland ranks fourth at 96.7 grams. Australia, fifth at 95.6 grams of sugar daily. Belgium is sixth with 95 grams. The United Kingdom is seventh at 93.2 grams. Mexico is eighth at 92.5 grams, and also ranks number one with obesity, along with various Pacific island nations, which have among the highest rates of diabetes. Finland is ninth at 91.5 grams on average, and Canada is tenth, with a daily average of 89.1 grams of sugar.
It is no wonder that the scourge of sugar is making people sick worldwide, and medical care costs are soaring out of control. Sugar breeds bacteria and feeds cancer. When the body becomes overloaded, the immune system can no longer maintain its balance or defenses, and a cytokine storm occurs. Hence, a cold, the flu, or cancer will result as the body attempts to detox.