Besides being a great piece of reporting and putting together some disparate pieces to create new understanding, this post reinforces something I've been noting more and more.

I'm fascinated and filled with hope by the increasing discussions of 1) Agriculture, 2) (truly) Free Markets, 3) Human Health and, 4) Environmental Protection all at the same time.

While these have always been tied up with each other, it seems that a number of current issues, including biofuels, agricultural subsidies, and the organic food boom, have crystallized these to some extent for a wider audience.

Thou hast no right but to do thy Will.

It's worth adding that, of course, the cost to ADM (and, from them, to HFCS users) is also being driven up by the surge in corn prices, driven by the irresponsible (corn) ethanol mandate, the aforementioned tarif on the more sustainable Brazilian sugar-cane ethanol, and the high price of a barrel of oil, which is actually enough to move Brazilian (and other) drivers with flex-fuel vehicles to switch from petrol to ethanol on pure cost considerations ...

Love is the law, love under will.

The history of America and sugar is long and troubled.  Your thesis is very interesting and this story is a great example of how government restrictions on trade have actually created the conditions for ADM to gain monopolistic power.

In the search for oil substitutes, the debate over "independence" and protectionism as opposed to trade is renewing itself.