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In 2005 sugar policy once again found its way into the headlines. This time the story revolved around the imminent reform of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (EU) and the effects this could have on farmers and companies both in Europe and the group of mainly former colonial states known as the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. In essence, the stories had two angles: first, that the sugar industry in the EU was a bastion of protectionism and was long overdue reform, and second, that while this reform was necessary, the sugar exporting ACP countries dependent on these arrangements were likely to lose out. As the negotiations intensified around this esoteric piece of legislation, competing interests were increasingly set into relief and the timbre of dissension grew as the final verdict neared. In the end, the decision was taken in Brussels to substantially lower the price received by …