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Business Daily

BBC

The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.

Location:

United Kingdom

Networks:

BBC

Description:

The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.

Language:

English


Episodes

Why is Temu so cheap?

3/18/2024
The Chinese-owned online store has exploded in popularity in the past year, shipping to customers in 49 countries around the world. And its advertising has taken centre stage at one of the world’s most watched events: the Super Bowl. So why is Temu so cheap? And how can it afford to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising to take on its rivals? We hear from experts, politicians and shoppers in China, the US, and the UK about how the company operates, as it seeks to out-pace the competition. (Picture: The Temu logo displayed on the screen of a mobile device. Credit: Getty Images) Presented and produced by Sam Gruet

Duration:00:18:20

Would green hydrogen be a drain on Uruguay's water sources?

3/17/2024
The government of Uruguay has launched ambitious plans to make hydrogen and green fuels. The country generates far more of its electricity from renewables than most countries - Uruguay produces more than 90% of its electricity from sustainable resources, like wind. And that, the government says, puts it in a good position to start producing green hydrogen. Proponents of green hydrogen production in Uruguay say it will be good for the planet and the country's economy, but could it use too much water? (Picture: Mauricio Caro, a farmer in Uruguay. He worries that if water is taken from the local aquifer to make green fuels, farmers will run short. Credit: Grace Livingstone/BBC) Presented and produced by Grace Livingstone

Duration:00:18:19

Business Daily meets: Andy Yen

3/14/2024
Andy Yen is founder and CEO of tech company Proton, best known for its encrypted email service Proton Mail. He was born in Taiwan, studied in California, then moved to Switzerland to work at CERN as a particle physicist. He then set up Proton from Geneva. Dougal Shaw talks to the entrepreneur about growing up in the shadow of China, personal privacy in an age when we live our lives online, and his company’s “cat and mouse” games with Russia over VPN software, which allows people to access the internet without state control. (Picture: Andy Yen) Presented and produced by Dougal Shaw

Duration:00:18:15

Stockholm: The capital of music tech?

3/13/2024
Spotify and Soundcloud started out as small, music tech startups in Stockholm, and now, several other companies that blend music production and innovation are choosing to set up shop in the Swedish capital. In this edition of Business Daily, we meet some of these new businesses, to see why Stockholm holds such appeal. And we try to find out whether music tech is a profitable sector with a long-term future. (Image: Emelie Olsson, the co- founder of Corite, a music tech startup. Credit: Maddy Savage/BBC) Presented and produced by Maddy Savage

Duration:00:18:07

Nato: Who’s spending what?

3/12/2024
Wary of the perceived threat from Russia, the countries that make up the Nato Western military alliance are upping their spending on the military. But not fast enough, according to former US president Donald Trump, who has made the issue part of his election campaign. So should governments in Europe be spending more on their collective defence? Do Europeans want them to, or would they rather that money go to things like education and healthcare instead? As Sweden joins the alliance, we look at who is spending what within Nato, who is pulling their weight, and who is not. We speak to people across Europe about what they want, and we talk to one former army chief, who says his country is woefully underprepared to defend itself. Presenter/producer: Gideon Long Additional reporting from Bethany Bell, BBC correspondent in Vienna And additional recording by Maddy Savage in Stockholm and Kostas Kallergis in Brussels (Photo: German Eurofighter Typhoon jets of TLG73 during Nato exercise. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:18:21

The sugar price surge

3/11/2024
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)

Duration:00:18:12

European farming’s existential crisis?

3/10/2024
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

Duration:00:18:10

Business Daily meets: Ben Ainslie

3/7/2024
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

Duration:00:18:18

The repercussions of the Hollywood strikes

3/6/2024
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

Duration:00:18:20

Disruption and drought in the Panama Canal

3/5/2024
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)

Duration:00:18:18

Tourism’s sustainability ambitions

3/4/2024
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).

Duration:00:18:19

How are farmers adapting to climate change?

3/3/2024
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

Duration:00:18:19

Bonus: Good Bad Billionaire

3/2/2024
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.

Duration:00:58:19

Business Daily meets: Mariana Mazzucato

2/29/2024
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

Duration:00:18:28

Is it okay to be mediocre at work?

2/28/2024
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)

Duration:00:18:27

Would you like to work 'near' home?

2/28/2024
Work from home, or go into the office? For many businesses and workers it's an ongoing conversation at the moment. But could there be a third way - working 'near' home? New co-working spaces are providing a place for people to do their job close to where they live, but not at home which can be unsuitable and isolating. We also look at the WeWork model - the billion-dollar business filed for bankruptcy protection in the US last year - does that mean the concept isn't viable long term? Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw. (Image: A Patch co-working space in southern England. Credit: Benoit Grogan-Avignon)

Duration:00:18:29

Chile's move to a 40 hour work week

2/26/2024
We look at the implications as the Latin American country gradually reduces from 45 hours. In April 2023 politicians approved a law in congress saying that businesses need to move towards cutting their hours to help get a better work life balance for employees. This reduction is happening gradually, and the working week is getting shorter by at least one hour per year, over a maximum of five years. We speak to workers and businesses in Chile about the impact - good and bad - that this is having. Presenter: Jane Chambers Technical production: Matthew Dempsey (Image: A group of workers on lunchbreak in Santiago. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:18:26

How Sweden led the way on parental leave

2/25/2024
It's been 50 years since Sweden introduced state-funded parental leave, designed for couples to share. We hear how the pioneering policy has impacted families and businesses - and ask whether Sweden really deserves its reputation for gender equality. And we meet one of the first dads to take paid parental leave, back in the 1970s. Produced and presented by Maddy Savage (Image: A man holding a small child. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:18:27

Business Daily meets: Ingrid Robeyns

2/22/2024
Today, the richest 10 per cent of the world’s population own more than three quarters of its wealth, while the bottom half have 2%. To halt the growing wealth gap, one economic philosopher, Ingrid Robeyns, has come up with a striking proposal - to impose legally enforced limits on people’s personal wealth. No one individual, Professor Robeyns suggests, should be allowed to have more than 10 million dollars. It's a provocative idea. And would it work in practice? (Picture: Ingrid Robeyns. Credit: Keke Keukelaar/United Agents) Presented and produced by Ed Butler

Duration:00:18:21

Ukraine's economic rollercoaster

2/21/2024
The Russian invasion sparked the worst recession in the country’s recent history. Yet 2023 saw growth which is projected to continue. So how are businesses actually faring? The economy is heavily reliant on foreign aid and there is uncertainty whether that will continue, notably from the US. We hear from businesses and workers who give us a mixed picture of Ukraine's economic health: Chef Zhenya Mykhailenko the CEO of FVSM which runs a group of Ramen restaurants in Kyiv and a military kitchen in the Zaporizhiya region; Kees Huizinga who farms in Uman, South of Kyiv and Erica, a secondary school teacher in the war torn southern city of Kherson. Plus economic analysis from Andrew Walker. Produced and presented by Clare Williamson (Image: Chef Zhenya. Credit: FVSM)

Duration:00:18:18