Africa’s agricultural innovations have shaped global food systems for over 10,000 years, yet its legacy is often overshadowed by misconceptions of scarcity. This episode begins with exploring Africa’s deep-rooted contributions to agriculture, from the domestication of crops like millet, sorghum, and coffee to the continent’s vital role in feeding both its own people and the world.
But this story takes a darker turn with the transatlantic slave trade, where African food systems became the backbone of a brutal enterprise. Enslaved Africans were not only sustained by African-grown crops like yams, rice, and sorghum but also carried their agricultural knowledge and even seeds to the Americas - forever shaping the diets of the New World. From the plantations of Brazil to the kitchens of the American South, the influence of African agriculture endures.
Join John and Patrick as they uncover the hidden history of Africa’s food legacy, its role in the transatlantic trade, and the resilience of enslaved people who carried their traditions across the ocean.
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