An outline of the international sugar economy has been worked out in which heavy economy and marginal economy were distinguished. This outline shows that during decolonization the big sugar firms as far as cane sugar is concerned have chosen, or have been obliged, to abandon their positions on the level of production in favour of the more lucrative positions on the trade, engineering, or seed levels. A strict control, that is impossible even on the level of an oligopols, but that is possible as far as trade is concerned, seems unlikely in the case of an economy that is moving towards autoconsumption.
