Final answer:
The author introduces the main idea of the article by discussing how sugar turned into a highly valuable global commodity, similar to the importance of oil today, and details the historical development and expansion of sugar trade along with the use of enforced labor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main idea of the article is introduced by explaining how sugar became one of the world's most valuable crops, akin to oil in modern times. The introduction highlights the economic significance of sugar in the Atlantic World, including its foundational role in shaping global trade patterns and colonial economies. European powers, recognizing the lucrative potential of sugar, established vast plantations in the Americas, utilizing the labor of enslaved Africans in brutal conditions to produce and export sugar back to Europe for substantial profits.
The article details the spread of sugar production from Southeast Asia to the Middle East and then to Europe, where the appetite for sugar grew exponentially. Arab traders and European colonization played a significant part in the global expansion of sugar as a commodity, leading to a reliance on plantation-style slavery to meet labor demands. The incorporation of enforced labor and the exploitation involved in sugar production are emphasized as key factors in the trade's profitability.