People Fixing the World

From crops that grow faster to rice that could stop children going blind - the world is full of genetically modified products waiting to come onto the market.Genetic modification techniques in plants have huge problem-solving potential, but are often clouded in controversy. Most scientists say GM food is safe, yet some consumers and environmental campaigners remain unconvinced.This week we look at the potential, and the controversy, in this futuristic field.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Penny MurphyEmail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: Illustration of a strand of DNA (Getty Images)

A podcast explores the challenges faced by female farmers and initiatives to support them. It highlights an app in Bangladesh that helps women sell their produce anonymously to overcome sexism. It also discusses programs in Peru and Bangladesh addressing gender inequality in agriculture. The podcast introduces vertical sack farming as a solution for women without land and explores the benefits of virtual fencing in farming.

The podcast explores alternative ways to obtain solar energy, such as using solar panels as building materials and placing them on car park canopies. It also discusses the concept of floating solar panels in Norway and the potential of combining solar panels with fields of crops. Additionally, the hosts reflect on Memory Well, a company that creates patient biographies.

Dutch inventors use a bubble barrier to remove plastic from water, sound is used to attract fish back to damaged coral reefs, a hand-cranked washing machine makes laundry easier for impoverished women

All across the world, invasive species are on the march. These are plants and animals that take over new areas, throwing nature out of balance. If left unchecked, they can destroy local ecosystems, drive native species to extinction - and put local livelihoods at risk.But people have been finding innovative ways to combat these invaders… like eating them!In Belize, we look at how encouraging local fisherman and restaurants to catch and serve up invasive lionfish has helped control their numbers and protect the local reefs.Meanwhile in Nashville, Tennessee, we see how one urban shepherd is deploying his flock of sheep - dubbed the ‘Nashville Chew Crew’ - to eat invasive plants and weeds across the city.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Marisol Amaya Producer/Reporter: Zoe Gelber Series Producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphyemail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: A lionfish (Getty Images)

In cities across Japan and the Philippines, an app called Tekkon is making data collection cool.It's a Pokemon GO-style game which pays people with cryptocurrency if they track down broken infrastructure – such as missing manhole covers and tangled electrical wires.The same technology that makes the cryptocurrency possible - blockchain - is also being used in South Africa to improve the lives of rubbish collectors.We investigate how this cutting-edge technology is attempting to solve some everyday problems.Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer / Reporter: Craig Langran Reporter: Michaela Papa Series producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphyemail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: Isaiah Demdam

How do you care for someone properly in a hospital or care home if you don’t know who they are?With US hospitals and care homes seeing fast turnovers of staff, many clinicians don’t get the chance to learn their residents’ backstories. This can lead to patients feeling isolated and misunderstood. Meanwhile, staff miss out on valuable insights which could be incorporated into treatment plans or used to make someone’s hospital stay more comfortable.But a start-up called MemoryWell is working to fix this by hiring professional writers to create short biographies of residents that get pinned up on their walls. It’s helping staff personalise care for patients and it’s led to valuable points of connection at what can be a difficult and lonely time.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: William Kremer Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny MurphyEmail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: Dot being interviewed for her biography.

As climate change leads to global temperature rises, cities around the world are being faced with extreme levels of heat. This can bring whole cities to a halt, disrupt key infrastructure, and for the most vulnerable in society heat can be a killer. But where there’s a problem, innovation is never far behind. We meet the people who are trying to find solutions – from urban designers finding inspiration in ancient technologies to keep cities cool, to social projects offering simple solutions to vulnerable populations. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Penny Murphy Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: A hot child.

A young scientist has developed a white powder which gives waste soil concrete-like properties.Gnanli Landrou grew up in Togo, helping his neighbours dry out soil to make bricks, and his big dream is to help people like them build stronger, cheaper, houses.But the European building industry is also excited about his new, low carbon building material.We talk to Gnanli about his ambitions for this extraordinary powder, and meet the Swiss architect who is about to build a luxury apartment block with it.This episode was first broadcast in May 2022.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Jo Mathys Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny MurphyEmail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: Gnanli Landrou

Is it possible for palm oil plantations, wildlife and the rainforest to happily coexist?Products containing palm oil, including soaps and cosmetics, are used by billions of people worldwide. While the industry is credited with reducing poverty in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, it has also contributed to mass deforestation.In Malaysian Borneo, only small pockets of pristine rainforest remain, with much of the land taken over by mile after mile of palm oil plantation. But on one plantation, an NGO called Hutan has joined forces with the palm oil growers to try and make them better for nature.We visit the plantation to see how they're using wildlife corridors to connect the remaining islands of forest.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny MurphyEmail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: An orangutan (Credit: Getty Images)