If the Senate confirms Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary, he has his work cut out for him. His quest to make America healthy again won’t be easy, but it should include tackling Big Sugar, an industry that has substantially increased Americans’ grocery prices—and significantly decreased their health.
In the U.S., sugar costs 40 cents per pound, double the global price of 20 cents. These high prices are the result of Big Sugar’s monopoly on the sugar market, a monopoly that receives vital support from government intervention.
Federal government subsidies for domestic sugar production have existed since the 1980s and consistently contribute to these high sugar prices. Annually, sugar companies receive around $4 billion in increased revenues from subsidies and tariffs. This allows for noncompetitive practices and contributes to a system of…
