Table Talk

The history of sugar is inextricably linked to the horrors of the slave trade. In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Stefan Gates is joined by evolutionary biologist and food historian, Neil Buttery, to reflect on that history. Sugarcane originated as a crop in New Guinea around 8,000 BC, but quickly spread through Asia. It played a role in the economy of the Persian Empire and was eventually cultivated by Europeans during the Crusades. This is when the story takes a dark turn, with plantations spreading across the continent, and the first African slaves used in sugar production on Madeira and the Canary Islands. When Europeans moved into the Americas, the sugar trade grew, and so too did the slave trade. Listen to the full episode to hear discussion on how much modern Britain benefits from the sugar and slave trades of the past. Neil also talks about why humans have evolved to crave sugar, and the impact the cultivation of sugarcane has had on the environment. Neil Buttery, Evol