Business Daily

Céline Vial, restaurateur and regional union president, speaks about shifts in French meal culture. Michael Mouraud, small-restaurant owner, describes crushing cost pressures and emptier lunches. They discuss rising prices, changing habits among younger diners, the spread of fast food, and a looming two-tier dining future.

We’re in Toronto in Canada, North America's second-biggest financial centre after New York, where so-called ethical investing has become big business, with many investors choosing funds they believe are better for people and the planet. But amid growing concerns about misleading environmental claims, it can be hard to know what’s genuinely ethical and what’s just clever marketing. We explore how politics is reshaping corporate commitments and hear from campaigners and regulators working to crack down on financial greenwashing.If you wouild like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Megan Lawton Producer: Sam GruetBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.(Photo: Sustainability consultant Lindsay Hampson works with companies around the world, helping them navigate ESG frameworks. Credit: Jon Evans)

Daniel Alameda, a third-generation California farmer using AI-powered machines to identify weeds and spray precisely. He talks about robotic arms, camera systems, and cost vs labor trade-offs. Other segments explore satellites, sensors saving water, affordable solar AI for smallholders, and risks from poor data.

Jennifer Riria, Kenyan microfinance pioneer who built Kenya Women Finance Trust into a bank for low-income women. She recalls rural roots and teenage motherhood shaping her drive. She explains group lending, compulsory savings and strong repayment culture. She talks about scaling to a regulated bank and the barriers women still face in accessing finance.

Gideon Long, an experienced journalist who reported from Venezuela for years, offers on-the-ground analysis of the country’s shifting oil policy. He discusses the new law inviting foreign oil firms, US engagement and investment hurdles. Conversations cover sanctions, tanker seizures, the challenge of attracting majors, and whether Venezuela can move beyond oil into tourism and other sectors.

A look inside the booming biohacking market, from luxury clinics to influencer-driven supplement brands. Visits to an upscale clinic showcase gadgets like red light therapy and rapid electrical workouts. Experts question the science behind longevity claims and warn about untested supplements. The story follows entrepreneurs turning personal health struggles into a profitable trend.

Ahilan Kadharagama, economist at the University of Jaffna who analyzes reconstruction needs and fiscal constraints. Dilhan Fernando, CEO of Dilma tea, on damage to estates, communities and exports. They discuss the cyclone's toll on infrastructure and agriculture. They talk about disrupted schooling, rebuilding priorities, business resilience and how limited aid and IMF conditions shape recovery.

Szymon Kowizhinski, Olivia and Nicodem Raipold — student leaders in the UK talking about why more grads now consider returning to Poland and shifting career expectations. John Eastick — CFO of Allegro, on the company’s rapid growth, Poland’s deep IT talent pool and regional expansion plans. They discuss consumer boom, labour-market shifts and hurdles like demographics and retention.

Luana Lopes Lara, a former professional ballerina turned MIT-trained entrepreneur who built regulated prediction markets platform Kalshi. She discusses trading real-world event outcomes, how ballet taught resilience, building a federally regulated exchange, navigating legal fights and ethics, and how markets can act as political barometers.

Kathy Matsui, former Goldman Sachs Japan strategist turned venture capital partner, and Mariko Ooi, BBC reporter raised in Tokyo, discuss Japan's sudden shift from long stagnation. They cover rising rice prices and how inflation feels new to households. They talk about wages lagging behind costs, pressures on small businesses, market gains and how policy could unlock investment and startups.