The great maple syrup heist.

• Position: Canada - Brief article

You probably know about OPEC, the international oil cartel. But chances are you haven't heard of the Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve in Quebec, run by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. It's a cartel of sorts that sets sales quotas for Canadian maple syrup. To keep prices high, the Federation not only controls sales, but also stockpiles every drop its members produce beyond the quota. During bad seasons, it dips into that supply. Last summer, however, auditors discovered that 6 million pounds of syrup--$18 million worth--had been stolen from the...