A Brief Environmental History of the World, Told Through Food

In The Burning Earth, Professor Sunil Amrith delivers a global, history-spanning account of our planet’s environment. One subject he comes back to over and over again is food: rice, sugar, wheat, meat, and more. I asked him about the societal impact of each crop and why he believes there’s no faster way to slow the climate crisis “than changing food systems and agriculture.”

Sunil Amrith is the Renu and Anand Dhawan Professor of History and professor in the School of the Environment at Yale University. He’s the author of five books and a recipient of multiple awards including a MacArthur “Genius” fellowship.