Business Daily

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The sugar price surge Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

We trace the commodity’s journey from sugar cane farm, to mill, to candy shop, all in a quest to find out why the cost of sugar has gone up. The US is the world's fifth largest sugar producer, with sugarcane grown in the south and sugar beets in the north. Even though the cost of sugar is rising worldwide, Americans pay twice as much as the global average for sugar because of a government policy. Brought about to protect domestic producers, a protectionist policy taxing imports of sugar is actually creating higher prices, a report by the government accountability office found in October.

We travel from a candy story in New York, to a sugarcane farm and mill in Louisiana, to find out what the impact will be.

Presented and produced by Erin Delmore Additional sound mixing by Cameron Ward and Helen Thomas

(Image: A worker climbs onto a front loader beside a pile of raw cane sugar inside a storehouse at a sugar mill in Louisiana. Credit: Getty Images)

European farming’s existential crisis? Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

There's been a wave of farmers' protests across Europe in recent weeks.

France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Eastern European countries have all seen farmers airing their grievances by driving their tractors into towns and cities and blocking roads.

There have also been similar demonstrations far beyond Europe, in India.

Guy Hedgecoe has been looking at the protests and how some grievances are uniting farmers from different countries while others are dividing them.

Because farming is so important for our day-to-day lives, the outcome could affect us all.

(Picture: A farmer pours industrial honey during a protest in Madrid. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Guy Hedgecoe

Business Daily meets: Ben Ainslie Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

Sir Ben Ainslie is the most decorated Olympic sailor of all time, winning medals at five consecutive Olympic Games.

Since then, he's been sailing in the America’s Cup and more recently in the new SailGP league.

Now, he's stepping back from some of his sailing responsibilities to concentrate on being a CEO.

For this episode of Business Daily, Sam Fenwick talks to Sir Ben about what it takes to run a sailing team, how to monetise the sport, and where he sees its future.

(Picture: Sir Ben Ainsley. Credit: Emirates GBR)

Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Hannah Mullane

The repercussions of the Hollywood strikes Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

Last summer marked the first time in six decades that Hollywood’s actors and writers went on strike simultaneously. They hit pause on production over pay and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the film industry.

The strikes brought the industry to boiling point, but wider issues were simmering for some time.

They caused a multi-billion economic toll on those who work in film and television - from crew members to caterers. Businesses burned through savings and piled up debt.

This edition of Business Daily unpicks the plot of one of Hollywood's biggest dramas.

(Picture: The Hollywood sign is viewed during a clearing storm, January 2024. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Izzy Greenfield

Disruption and drought in the Panama Canal Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

The important shipping route runs for 82 km through Central America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

But a long period of dry weather means the water in the canal is very low, reducing the number of boats that can travel though.

We travel to Panama to look at the impact this is having on shipping companies, manufacturers and consumers, and find out what the Panama Shipping Company is trying to do about it.

Presenter: Michelle Fleury Producer: Nathalie Jimenez

(Image: A ship going through the Panama Canal locks. Credit: Panama Canal Authority)

Tourism’s sustainability ambitions Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

We travel to FITUR - International Tourism Trade Fair.

Taking place in Madrid, this year's event was the biggest ever.

As the sector is still recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, we speak to representatives from countries around the world who are aiming to attract visitors.

Plus we focus on responsible tourism, and look at how much emphasis is being placed on sustainability by the travel industry.

Produced and presented by Ashish Sharma

(Image: Tourists at a beach club in Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia, in May 2022, just after the region opened more broadly to fully vaccinated visitors from overseas. Credit: Getty Images).

How are farmers adapting to climate change? Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

Up to 10% of areas for major crops and livestock could be rendered unsuitable by climate change by 2050, so what can farmers do to adapt to rising temperatures and extreme weather events?

Stefania Gozzer meets a farmer in Spain to see how severe droughts ruined his cereal harvest, and she pays a visit to his neighbour, who has managed to grow tomatoes without watering his fields.

Global warming poses huge challenges for agriculture around the world - and various ways of managing its effects are now being practised by farmers. Among them is planting trees next to crops. We hear how this technique changed the life of a Kenyan farmer.

(Picture: Farmer in rubber boots walking on dry soil ground. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Stefania Gozzer

Bonus: Good Bad Billionaire Mar 02, 2024

Show notes

In this special episode, Ed Butler brings you a podcast from our friends at Good Bad Billionaire.

In the series, presenters Simon Jack and Zing Tseng find out how the richest people on the planet made their billions, and then they judge them.

Are they good, bad, or just another billionaire?

This episode focuses on Warren Buffett - how did he became the richest investor in history?

Listen to every episode of Good Bad Billionaire wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Business Daily meets: Mariana Mazzucato Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

The world's major consulting firms make an estimated trillion dollars a year, directing governments and businesses on how best to govern.

But the economist Mariana Mazzucato argues that outsourcing the brain power of governments to private firms is a dangerous trend.

Ed Butler asks her why she thinks it isn't money well spent.

(Picture: Mariana Mazzucato. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Ed Butler

Is it okay to be mediocre at work? Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

The idea of settling for ‘good enough’ and being mediocre at work is not new… but the case for prioritising other things apart from work has grown rapidly since the pandemic – and hashtags like #lazygirljob have been getting millions of views on TikTok.

We find out what mediocrity means for staff and employers, and speak to workers who are embracing this new attitude.

We hear from Jaime Ducharme, Time Magazine journalist who wrote an article about mediocrity in the workplace, Gabrielle Judge who started #lazygirljob on TikTok, and Dr Thomas Curran from the London School of Economics.

Produced and presented by Clare Williamson

(Image: A woman looking bored at work. Credit: Getty Images)