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The Price of Sugar is a documentary on the lives of Haitian sugarcane cutters in the Dominican Republic and the local priest Father Christopher Hartley. The documentary touches on multiple subjects, but the ones I found most interesting were the moral price of consuming sugar from such farms and Father Hartleys unyielding altruism in the face of danger. It changed how I think about typical household products that people consume daily.
This documentary shed light on a topic that I never thought I would be interested in, such as sugarcane farms in the Dominican Republic. It shocked me with its insights into the unethical treatment of Haitians by the local government, Dominican society, and the company behind the farms. The living and working conditions are outrageous no stable access to water, food, or medical care. It begs the question of why the workers stay in such a slave-like position. The Haitian people do not have a choice or say in their conditions and environment. They fled their country of origin, giving up their former lives in hopes of a better future for themselves and their families. These hopes were never met, as the company that brought them into the Dominican Republic used them as cheap labor, exploiting them. They cannot leave due to their lack of documents, which makes them illegal immigrants and subject to deportation if they ever choose to leave the plantation. I found that their situation resembled those of colonized enslaved people, which I found extremely difficult to deal with.
The uncomfortable reality of the situation of these people made me reconsider how I think about the sugary products I see in my local grocery store. According to the documentary (2011), the United States imports, most of its sugar from the Dominican Republic, which means most of the product here is made unethically. It made me think about how I, as a consumer, react to such information. I do not wish to support such an exploitative industry; however, my options are limited to abstaining from buying sugar from the Dominican Republic and spreading awareness about the unethical operations happening there. Besides sugar, there may be many other products that are produced unethically, which means people living in developed countries may never realize the true nature of the industries they are supporting.
Father Hartley is a character often shown in the documentary. He is shown to be a selfless person helping the Haitians gain basic workers rights, improve their living conditions, and unite against the company that exploits them. For these actions, he is persecuted by the Vicini family that runs the sugarcane plantations. Hartley faces backlash from the Dominican population, where nationalistic attitudes are prevalent. What struck me as surprising was his stubbornness in reaching his goal of helping Haitians, despite many voicing their disagreement with his actions. I found his ability to stick to his principles in the face of adversity for the sake of others admirable and worthy of spreading. Virtuous behavior demonstrated by Father Hartley and his team made me gain more appreciation for social workers in developing countries.
In conclusion, this documentary gave me valuable context about the products I consume daily by showing the living conditions of Haitian workers. It shed light on a serious issue that most people benefiting from the exploitation of these people do not realize. I also recognized the struggle of fighting for ethics in a corrupt society, demonstrated by Father Hartley and various other volunteers in the Dominican Republic.
References
READ365. (2011). The price of sugar. [Video]. YouTube. Web.
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