One barrel of oil currently costs about $50. One barrel of maple syrup, on the other hand, sells for about $1,200.

That’s because Quebec, which provides 71 percent of the world’s maple syrup, forces producers to sell to the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, a government-sanctioned, OPEC-like cartel. But the Federation’s high prices and rigid control have led to a booming black market, a multi-million dollar maple syrup heist, and accusations that Quebec is in cahoots with a “maple syrup mafia.”

VICE News travels to Quebec and talks to farmers about the Federation, including one who’s taking her fight against it to the country’s Supreme Court.