LOVE LETTERS TO TANZANIA: Even water drunk together is sweet enough

[BOB OS]

In Summary

• Tanzania produces 320,000 tonnes of sugar annually but consumes 420,000 tonnes, which puts pressure on the government to import the commodity

By Sabine Barbara




Citizens’ opinions differ on the government’s decision to restrict sugar imports. Many fear a looming shortage as sugar prices are rising. No doubt most of us agree that sugar hoarding must be prevented to avoid profiteering by unscrupulous traders who use stockpiling to create artificial shortages. Nobody wants to pay exorbitant prices to a handful of individuals who take advantage of the situation.

Tanzania produces approximately 320,000 tonnes of sugar annually but consumes 420,000 tonnes, which puts pressure on the government to import sugar to meet the anticipated demand of the near future. However, there is another way of addressing the 100,000 tonnes shortfall. If you enjoy sweet tea, love your cakes and favour soft drinks, please forgive me for this suggestion: Buyers could empower themselves to drive prices down by opting to purchase less sugar, limiting their consumption to the amount currently produced in Tanzania. If demand drops, Tanzania’s producers are protected while the nation’s health benefits. Our daily purchasing decisions can help solve the problem.

We have come to see unhealthy, refined sugar as a staple food item and are so accustomed to consuming large amounts that, when faced with rising prices, we do not consider simply buying less to make up for the price difference, even though doing so would improve our health.

We know that sugar promotes tooth decay and lacks nutrients, but is high in kilojoules, contributing to overweight and obesity. However, in addition to those well-published facts, there is growing scientific evidence which should make us think twice about the extra spoonful of sugar in our tea or consuming soft drinks which contain up to the equivalent of sixteen packs of sugar in a single 600 ml bottle.

Studies confirm that sugar damages our health in many ways. Sugar can suppress the immune system and interferes with the absorption of vital nutrients such as B-group vitamins. Experts established a link between high sugar consumption and not only high rates of obesity, but also high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. A range of cancers, including oesophageal, bowel, kidney, gallbladder, endometrial and breast cancer, have been linked to obesity, to which sugar consumption is a major contributing factor. And if all of this is not frightening enough, be warned that sugar speeds up the ageing process. High sugar consumption causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, making our skin look older!

With type 2 diabetes on the rise in Tanzania, cutting our sugar intake would be wise. Britain’s sugar tax on soft drinks is not as silly as it seems. A 2013 cross-national analysis of 75 countries, including low- and middle-income countries, established that soft drink consumption is significantly associated with obesity and diabetes prevalence. After the results of this study were published in the American Journal of Public Health, several nations where obesity rates are spiralling out of control decided to take action.

In Australia, which is in the top ten countries for consumption of soft drink, the government introduced the “Rethink Sugary Drink” campaign, encouraging young people to choose water instead. Experts warn that drinking one 600 ml soft drink per day amounts to 23 kilograms of sugar per year. A frightening amount, which causes a weight gain of 6.75 kg per year, unless you drastically reduce your consumption of other high-kilojoule food or drink items, or run 3 km every day to burn off the excess calories.

International sugar manufacturers know that high sugar intake has a multitude of negative effects on our health. Are their donations in the health and education sectors designed to distract us? If primary school children associate sugar companies with the construction of classrooms and toilets, will they be less likely to listen to health warnings? Are these companies practising corporate social responsibility or displaying signs of guilt, a cynic may ask, especially if such companies are 75% foreign owned and a large number of shareholders reside in countries which are working towards reducing sugar consumption to improve their own population’s health.

The author is a freelance writer, working in Australia as a program leader in education and expert teacher
LOVE LETTERS TO TANZANIA: Even water drunk together is sweet

 

[DuppyConqueror]

This is a powerful article. We should start considering slicing sugar consumption...collective effort is required to make this move a reality