Burt Wolf : what we eat: Taking the high grounds : the story of coffee
The first serious cultivation of coffee as a cash crop took place in Yemen during the 1400's. Islamic pilgrims spread it throughout the Muslim world. This program looks at the discovery of coffee, its ability to control the economy of major nations ...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: How sweet it is : the story of sugar
In 1493, Columbus planted sugar cane in Haiti. It eventually became one of the crops associated with "Triangular Trade," the basis for all British International Commerce. The Caribbean area could not hold onto a paid labor force because land was fre...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: This spud's for you : how the potato changed the world
First cultivated in the Andean Mountains of South America about 7,000 years ago, the potato fed the great Inca Empire and their Spanish conquerors. The potato became a staple of the sailors' diet because it prevented scurvy. Germany and the British ...