On a vast plantation in the Dominican Republic, Haitian migrants still use machetes to harvest sugarcane that’s exported to the U.S. The workers are protesting poor working and living conditions.

Sandy Tolan
Senior producer
Sandy Tolan, author of The Lemon Tree and Children of the Stone, is a professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He is a co-founder of Homelands Productions and writes frequently on the intersection of land, indigenous rights, energy and the environment.
US Bans Sugar Imports From Top Dominican Producer Over Forced Labor Allegations
In an investigation by Reveal and Mother Jones, workers for the Central Romana Corp. spoke of inadequate protective gear, poor medical care, withheld pensions and debt.
The Bitter Work Behind Sugar
On a vast plantation in the Dominican Republic, Haitian migrants still use machetes to harvest sugarcane that’s exported to the U.S. The workers are protesting poor working and living conditions.
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“They Just Came and Started Breaking Houses”
After our investigation prompted action in Congress, a major Dominican sugar exporter razed workers’ homes as US diplomats drew near.
The High Human Cost of America’s Sugar Habit
Low pay, chemical exposure, and a life of debt.
Big Oil lauds Paris pullout but warns of rising seas, severe storms
Fossil fuel companies are among the biggest supporters of President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord. Yet federal documents reveal that some companies are well aware of the severe risks of a warming planet.
Fuel’s rush in: US oil companies hurry to lay pipelines under Trump
A high-stakes battle is underway on multiple front lines across America, as Native American and climate change activists square off against oil and pipeline companies racing to lay as much infrastructure into the ground as quickly as possible.
‘Brute force’ at Standing Rock was on taxpayers’ dime
Law enforcement’s militaristic presence at the Dakota Access Pipeline protests was made possible by the taxpayers of North Dakota.
Egypt: Growing pains
This story also appeared on America Public Media’s Marketplace. Anger over food prices helped contribute to the toppling of former President Hosni Mubarak. Through the story of one migrant family, we explore how displaced farmers, angry about agricultural policies that favor “crony capitalists,” now struggle to put food on the table. Kai Ryssdal: The second phase […]
Egypt: Food for a revolution
Anger over food prices helped contribute to the toppling of former President Hosni Mubarak. Through the story of one migrant family, we explore how displaced farmers, angry about agricultural policies that favor “crony capitalists,” now struggle to put food on the table. This story is the beginning of a new series: “Food for 9 Billion,” […]