Final answer:
The passage supports the inference that sugar played a significant role in the Atlantic World and shaped global trade, with European merchants developing a lucrative system of sugar production and consumption using enslaved labor from West Africa.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passage supports the inference that sugar played a significant role in the Atlantic World and shaped global trade. European merchants developed a lucrative system of sugar production and consumption in the New World, using enslaved labor from West Africa. This system resulted in the rise of sugar plantations in the Caribbean and other tropical areas, making sugar the most important commodity in the Atlantic World. The passage also highlights the impact of sugar on European consumers and the exploitation of enslaved people in sugar production.