What is understood by linking the popularity of sugar and coffee in Europe with slaves' lives?

Correct answer: European consumption was linked with colonial exploitation

The governing concept is the connection between European consumption, plantation production and colonial exploitation. Sugar and coffee became increasingly popular in Europe, but these commodities were often produced on plantations where enslaved Africans were forced to work under brutal conditions. Therefore, an apparently ordinary habit, such as drinking sweetened coffee, was connected to Atlantic trade, slavery and profits earned by merchants and plantation owners. Option A is correct because it recognises this economic and human link. Option B is wrong because enslaved people were denied rights, not granted consumer rights. Option C is wrong because the popularity of these goods did not immediately end the slave trade. Option D ignores the direct relationship between European markets and plantations.