Podcast: Post-Ukrainian French Farmers, the Impact of Fast Fashion, and the Life of Jesus

The impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to a decline in grain exports worldwide, as Ukraine was a major producer before the war. Farmers in France, Europe’s largest grain producer, are shifting production to make up for the difference.At the annual agricultural fair “Salon de l’Agriculture” in the south of Paris, Laurent French manager Rosso Vegetable Oil and Protein Trade Association, Talking about how French grain farmers have grown sunflower crops for animal feed and cooking oil, France is seeking self-sufficiency. It may discourage planting. Cedric Torphemus, the producer of Petite Eportre, The small Spelt mountain range, high in the Alps, says not enough farmers are planting in the area to meet demand. (listen @ 1’15)

The fashion industry does not have a good track record of being green. In addition to being responsible for at least 4% of the world’s carbon footprint, the dyes and chemicals used to make clothes have a negative impact on both the environment and human health.recent fashion shows Paris fashion week, are the most visible part of the fashion industry, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. A major problem is the growth of “ultra-fast fashion,” where cheap clothing with short shelf life floods the market. Fashion journalist Catherine Doriac author Global Non-Profit Country Coordinator fashion revolutiontalks about the urgent need to make fashion more sustainable. It starts with buying less but better and fixing the clothes we already have. (@ 17 listen to ’50)

France marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of historian and philosopher Ernest Renan. Known for “The Life of Jesus” and “What is a Nation?”his voice Gustave Eiffel recording 1891 on one of the earliest French audio recordings. (listen @ 12’00)

Episode mixed by Cecil Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International.find us at rfienglish.com, iTunes (link here), Spotify (link here), Google Podcast (link here)or your Favorite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878).