Black Sea Soils and Korean Farmers
Happy Friday!
This week, John and Patrick took us through South Korea’s remarkable journey from one of the world’s poorest nations to the economic powerhouse it is today, highlighting the crucial role agriculture played in that transformation. This episode may have been the brainchild of AGLife Media’s creative director, but we all gained valuable insights from it!
And then last week, we heard John break out his Putin impression as our hosts explored the timely and compelling history of Ukraine’s rich, black soils—one of the region’s most valuable resources—and its deep ties to geopolitics, particularly with Russia. Who knew food and fresh produce could still spark global conflicts?
Now onto our extra stories, which this week includes a grain trade rivalry and the unexpected power of corn in fostering peace.
The U.S.-Russian Grain Trade Rivalry
Last week’s episode focused on Ukraine-Russia relations through the lens of wheat and grain, but there’s another key player in this story: the United States. While we won’t dive into the full history here, we thought it would be worth giving you a quick overview of America's role in this long-standing wheat rivalry.
The competition between Washington and Moscow over grain goes back further than many realize. It traces its roots to the late 1860s, after the U.S. Civil War, when cheap American wheat flooded global markets for the first time. This surge effectively pushed Russian wheat exports out of Europe - an economic blow that didn’t sit well with Russia. The rivalry intensified over the years and even played a role in the lead-up to World War I. When German troops cut off European Allies from wheat-producing regions in Poland and Russia, they turned to the United States for their supply. This moment cemented America’s position as the world's leading wheat provider, granting it significant geopolitical influence. By 1974, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture openly referred to food as a “weapon” that could be used to achieve American national objectives.
For much of the 20th century, American dominance in wheat remained unchallenged. However, policy changes in the 1990s led to a decline in surplus production, shrinking U.S. wheat acreage and opening the door for new competitors - most notably Russia and former Soviet states, which were modernizing their agricultural systems.
When Vladimir Putin became president in 2000, Russia was still dependent on imports to meet half of its domestic food needs, with a significant portion of American wheat making its way into the country. Unsurprisingly, Putin saw this as a vulnerability. He made food security a national priority, launching aggressive initiatives to boost domestic grain production. By 2017, he was declaring victory, saying, “We are number one. We beat the U.S. and Canada.” Indeed, Russia had become the world’s top wheat exporter - and they certainly have no intention of giving up that position. Despite Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia continues to find buyers in the Middle East and Asia, particularly China, the world's largest consumer and stockpiler of wheat.
One thing remains clear: food has always been, and continues to be, a powerful tool in global conflicts. As John and Patrick pointed out in the episode, world leaders would do well to remember the warning of King Louis XVI’s economic advisor: Ne vous mêlez pas du pain—Do not meddle with bread.
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"Corn for Peace"
In this week's episode, we heard about the remarkable impact of the Saemaul Undong movement on rural South Korea and its agricultural transformation. Within just a few decades, South Korea went from struggling farms to high-yield harvests, thanks to advancements in machinery, seeds, and farming techniques. But behind this agricultural revolution were also key figures - perhaps none more influential than Kim Soon-Kwon.
Born in 1945 in Ulsan, Korea (now South Korea), Kim grew up in a time of war and reconstruction. His family, like many others, relied on farming to survive, and from a young age, he worked alongside them in the fields. Determined to expand his knowledge, he attended the Ulsan Agrarian Institute (the equivalent of a U.S. high school), but with his family barely making ends meet, university seemed out of reach. Fortunately, Kim earned a scholarship that allowed him to study agriculture at Kyungpook National University.
To fund his education, Kim took on teaching jobs while pursuing his dream of becoming an agricultural scientist—motivated by his firsthand experience of hunger. He went on to earn a master’s degree from Korea University and, in 1974, a doctorate in horticulture from the University of Hawaii. It was there that he deepened his expertise in corn, a crop he believed held the key to fighting global hunger.
Traveling across the U.S. corn belt, Kim marveled at the vast, thriving fields. "Better than I dreamed," he later recalled. With the guidance of his mentor in Hawaii, he developed corn seed resistant to insects, parasites and diseases in South Korea. Before long his work caught the attention of major agricultural companies in the U.S. Yet, Kim remained committed to his mission, turning down lucrative offers to return home and help South Korea.
By 1978 - just four years after his return - Kim’s team had doubled the national corn yield twice over, tripling farmers’ net income. His groundbreaking work soon drew international attention, this time from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Having achieved his goal in Korea, he accepted a position with the IITA and moved to Nigeria to take on a new challenge: developing high-yield corn varieties to combat hunger across Africa.
What was meant to be a one-year mission turned into a 17-year commitment. Kim and his team developed over 100 corn varieties tailored to different farms across West and Central Africa. Thanks to their work, Nigeria - once dependent on importing a million tons of corn annually - became self-sufficient in corn production.
In 1986, Kim received the prestigious International Prize for Agricultural Research from the King of Belgium, along with numerous accolades from other nations. But by the late 1990s, reports of famine in North Korea began surfacing. Never one to turn away from a challenge, Kim left Africa and returned to South Korea, determined to help his fellow Koreans.
To this day, Kim has made more than 50 trips to North Korea, introducing advanced corn-breeding techniques to cooperative farms in an effort to alleviate famine and foster cross-border cooperation. As he famously said, “Corn doesn’t know Korea is divided.” Perhaps, one day, Kim’s corn will not only feed the hungry but also help sow the seeds of peace.
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Whether you are a current student or a career professional, Cornell University's Food Industry Management Program is the place to expand your knowledge and expertise in the fresh produce industry.
Learn more about this premier food education program here.
Reading Produce History
Looking to dive deeper into the history and politics of grain? Oceans of Grain by Scott Reynolds Nelson is a fascinating read that traces the ancient grain trade routes across the steppes of what is now Ukraine. It reveals how this trade shaped not just the people and culture of the region, but also the politics and economies of the world.
But wait! If you're a member of the History of Fresh Produce Club you can get this book at a DISCOUNT!
We partner with Books Are Magic, so that each week, HFP Club members can get either a 10% or 15% off books mentioned in the podcast. So, make sure to sign up today!
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History test
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Livestream Event
On August 23, 1919, a celebratory dinner at the Lakeside Club in Canton, Ohio, was held in honor of Col. Charles C. Weybrecht’s return from France at the end of the First World War. But what began as a joyous occasion soon turned tragic, as guests fell ill - and over the following days, several would die.
In this month's livestream, John and Patrick delve into the infamous event known as The Great Olive Poisoning, a case that would help shape America’s food safety system. How did olives play a role in the deadly outbreak? How many lives were lost? What was the impact on the olive industry? And most chillingly—was it an accident, or something more sinister?
Join us LIVE on Wednesday, March 19th at 12PM EST.
You can join here: https://www.youtube.com/live/Tt0R1jQvNkk?si=wR3B4cS-KgUmJ73e
We hope to see you there!
Can't make it live? No problem. It'll be available afterwards on YouTube via the same link. You can listen back to it later in your podcast feed.
You can send your questions and comments in advance via email to [email protected].
DATES FOR YOUR CALENDARS
Here's what's coming your way in the next few weeks:
Tuesday, March 18th: The History of Olives
Wednesday, March 19th: LIVESTREAM @ 12:00PM EST
Tuesday, March 25th: Livestream replay
Tuesday, April 1st: The History of Chile Peppers (Part 1)
Tuesday, April 8th: The History of Chile Peppers (Part 2)
Thanks for reading, and please drop us a line in the comments or email ([email protected]) to let us know what you think of the newsletter and all things HFP.
-John, Patrick and The History of Fresh Produce team