Of Maize and Men: Unpicked
The Food Chain14 Jan 2017

Of Maize and Men: Unpicked

This week we continue the story of the most abundant crop on earth. Last week we established its position as the king of the crops. This time we ask: are we producing too much of a good thing? Does the way we produce this crop epitomise everything that’s wrong with the global food system?

Maize - or corn, as it’s also known - is the lynchpin of the industrialised food supply. The BBC’s Emily Thomas talks to Ricardo Salvador from the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Stephen Macko from the University of Virginia about how the crop could be the fuelling the obesity problem in the developed world.

Conversely, hundreds of millions of people in the developing world rely on maize for their very survival. Prasanna Boddupalli, from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, explains the value of this crop – and the impact of US policy in sub-saharan Africa. We visit a farm in Aylesbury in the South of England and explore the role of corn in intensive livestock farming, with farmer Tom Morrison. From there we move to the cornbelt in the US Midwest, where corn farmer David Brant explains his solution for growing maize without stripping the soil, and polluting the rivers.

(Image: An eerie scarecrow in a crop field. Credit: pick-uppath/ Thinkstock)

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(556)

The regulars

The regulars

Do you have a local cafe, restaurant or bar that you go to all the time? Maybe the staff recognise you or know you by name, perhaps you even get special treatment. In this programme Rumella Dasgupta ...

19 Aug 26min

Leaving home

Leaving home

Moving out of the family home can be a big first step at whatever age you do it. Paying bills, budgeting, shopping, and importantly cooking for yourself. In this programme Rumella Dasgupta asks what ...

12 Aug 26min

What can food tell us about the past?

What can food tell us about the past?

What can food reveal about the people who came before us? From ancient meals and family recipes to the chemical traces left behind in bones and teeth, food offers remarkable clues about how people liv...

5 Aug 26min

Should I cut down on carbs?

Should I cut down on carbs?

Have you ever asked yourself: should I do Keto? Is white rice good for me? Am I eating too many carbohydrates? If so, then this episode of The Food Chain is for you. Carbohydrate-rich foods are everyw...

29 Juli 26min

When should I eat my evening meal?

When should I eat my evening meal?

When should you eat your evening meal? Is it really better to eat earlier, or does it depend on when you go to bed? And if you do have to eat late, is there anything you can do to reduce the impact on...

22 Juli 26min

The rise of eating alone

The rise of eating alone

Listener Melanie wrote into The Food Chain to ask us to make a programme about the rising numbers of people who eat alone. She told us she often dines solo and sometimes finds the experience daunting....

15 Juli 26min

What do World Cup footballers eat?

What do World Cup footballers eat?

Elite footballers are among the world's most finely tuned athletes. Every meal is carefully planned to fuel training, maximise recovery and prepare for the next match. But it wasn't always this way.In...

8 Juli 26min

How to order a restaurant meal like a pro

How to order a restaurant meal like a pro

With dining out becoming an increasingly expensive luxury, we find out how to order the perfect restaurant meal with top tips from a panel of seasoned pros. The Irish Times food critic, Corinna Hard...

1 Juli 26min

Populärt inom Samhälle & Kultur

podme-dokumentar
aftonbladet-krim
gynning-berg
p3-dokumentar
en-mork-historia
creepypodden-med-jack-werner
aftonbladet-daily
killradet
hor-har
rss-expressen-dok
kod-katastrof
svenska-fall
flashback-forever
rss-schyffert-sundin-ar-det-har-nat
mardromsgasten
rss-mer-an-bara-morsa
rysarpodden
p1-dokumentar
vad-blir-det-for-mord
rss-vad-fan-hande