The Food Chain

We are celebrating 10 years of The Food Chain with some of our favourite programme moments from the past decade. Fishing to stay alive, chopping onions in remembrance, and tasting people’s names – these stories and more tell us something about our relationship with food and how it helps us connect with one another. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]: Ruth Alexander (Image: A chocolate birthday cake with number 10 candles on top. Credit: Getty Images)

Dull? Boring? Plain? Vanilla is a byword for something which is ordinary or standard. In this programme Ruth Alexander finds the story of the popular spice is anything but normal. Originating in Mexico it’s travelled the globe and taken over, and is now one of the most valuable commodities available. It’s gone from being highly sought after and the height of luxury – even serving as an aphrodisiac for Mesoamericans and a European monarch - to ubiquitous and considered “regular”. Despite its reputation there is still a lot to appreciate about this complex flavour, and fans in one ice cream parlour are keen to make sure it isn’t overlooked. Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Nina Pullman and Hannah Bewley (Image: A vanilla bean and flower. Credit: Getty Images)

How do our work habits shape what we eat? In this programme Izzy Greenfield discovers the history of the workplace lunch and the ways in which society has reshaped it. Historian Megan Elias of Boston University in the US explains how lunches have evolved from the factories of the 19th century Industrial Revolution to sandwiches eaten at the desk in 20th century offices. Izzy visits an office and co-working space in Manchester, run by Department, a company that operates office spaces in the North of England. Abigail Gunning, Operations Director, explains why it makes sense for the company to open the building’s cafe and restaurant to the public as well as staff. And how does workplace food impact our health? Olivia Beck, registered nutritionist at Food Choices at Work in Cork, Ireland, explains why it’s in employers’ interests to create a healthy food environment for all staff, whether in the office or at home. If you’d like to contact the programme you can email [email protected] Presented by Izzy Greenfield. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. Additional reporting by James Jackson. (Image: a man eating a burger with a glass of juice at his desk in front of a computer screen. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Water scarcity is an increasing problem on every continent, according to the United Nations. Around half the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity for at least part of the year, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global warming and population growth is expected to make the situation worse, so what is it like to run a home or a business amid water shortages? Ruth Alexander hears from households and businesses in Karachi, Pakistan and Bogata, Colombia, and finds out lessons from Cape Town, South Africa which was said to be approaching ‘Day Zero’ when the taps would run dry in 2018. Ruth explores whether desalination – harvesting drinking water from the sea - could ever offer a sustainable solution.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected] by Rumella Dasgupta and Beatrice Pickup. (Image: people queuing for water in Cape Town, South Africa in 2018. Credit: Bloomberg/Getty Images/BBC)