Sugar shock: Will the 'Domino' effect drive up food prices?

In a recent letter to Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, several large food producers warned that unless the U.S. increases its quota of tariff-free sugar imports, it may, "run out of sugar" in the next year. This, in turn, would lead to layoffs, skyrocketing prices, and a serious shift in trade.

Part of the problem lies in a worldwide sugar run as Brazil diverts part of its sugar crop into ethanol production and monsoons have wiped out much of India's sugar crop. All told, the Department of Agriculture expects sugar supplies to drop by 43 percent over the next year.