logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
19m 5s

Why are Kenyan’s paying more for their s...

Bbc World Service
About this episode
The price of sugar is on the rise in Kenya and it’s really hitting people’s pockets. It’s partly due to a shortage of sugarcane in the country. In April, it was reported that some sugar mills were closing their operations, due to the lack of the raw material. Amid a dispute with millers, some farmers are moving away from sugar to other crops. So, what ... Show More
Up next
Oct 3
Focus on Africa: Can Botswana continue to depend on its diamond industry?
In an exclusive interview with the BBC's Waihiga Mwaura, Botswana's President Duma Boko, outlines his plan to reduce his country's reliance on the diamond industry amid falling global demand, and how he is pushing for a 0% tariff deal with the US.Guinea is showing signs of econom ... Show More
27m 30s
Sep 12
Focus on Africa: Who is Uganda's Joseph Kony?
The International Criminal Court concludes hearings into war crime charges against the Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony and will decide whether he should face trial. But who is Joseph Kony and what are the charges against him? How some South African schools are fighting childhood ... Show More
35m 33s
Sep 9
Focus on Africa: Ethiopia opens huge dam despite outside opposition
Ethiopia opens Africa's largest hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile river deepening a rift with Egypt and Sudan.Authorities in the US have arrested two suspected leaders of the Cameroon separatists' military wing. We find out more about the charges against the two men, and why Cam ... Show More
31m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
The sugar price surge
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 ... Show More
18m 12s
Apr 2024
Why are chocolate and coffee getting more expensive?
The cost of cocoa - the key ingredient for making chocolate - has reached an all-time high. In fact, the price has roughly doubled over the past year. The soaring cocoa prices are squeezing major chocolate makers and filtering through to consumers who are paying more for their sw ... Show More
15m 24s
Jun 2024
Kenya: Why have some proposed taxes been scrapped?
Kenya's government has bowed to public pressure and scrapped plans to introduce new taxes on items like bread and motor vehicles. Why were Kenyans so angry with the tax increments? Ethiopia one of sub-Saharan Africa's major economies, opens up its banking sector to foreign invest ... Show More
23m 33s
Feb 2024
This Valentine’s Day, a not-so-sweet chocolate economy
Lovers and chocolate lovers beware: If you’re eyeing a heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day, those bonbons are going to come at a cost. Cocoa prices recently hit an all-time high and sugar prices have spiked too. Rather bittersweet, huh? But first, Tuesday’s inflati ... Show More
6m 50s
Apr 2024
Sugarcoated: Sugar tax and media discourses on the context of policymaking
Dr Esther Gonzalez-Padilla asks what is sugar? Why should we study it? And how much sugar should we be eating? 
5m 23s
Jan 2020
Zimbabwe's Food Crisis: Can Old Crops Fix New Problems?
Every day people dig into sadza, a maize based meal, but there’s a problem. Zimbabwe’s getting much drier and maize can’t cope. Crop failures have partly contributed to food shortages this year leading to more than 7 million people needing food aid. The economic crisis has made t ... Show More
28m 37s
Feb 2022
Why do we like sugar so much?
Marshmallows, lollipops, gummi bears -- we want them all! But we’ve all heard that eating a lot of sugar isn’t that healthy for us. So what’s the deal? Why do we like sugar so much in the first place? We’ll find out why our bodies evolved to seek out sweet things, and how clever ... Show More
26m 58s
Dec 2023
How the candy cane gets made
What can a beloved, sugary holiday treat teach us about trade protectionism, overseas farm subsidies, inflation and inelastic demand? Turns out, quite a bit. Today, we trace how sugarcane from Louisiana becomes a hand-spun, red-and-white-striped delight at a New Jersey candy shop ... Show More
7m 25s