It's a deal that's been decades in the works, but might not make it across the finishing line. The free trade agreement between the European Union and the South American Mercosur trading bloc is driving a wedge between those who are eager to diversify and strengthen their international trade, like Germany, and those who are concerned about protecting their agricultural sector, like France. FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin speaks to Maxime Combes, a French economist who fundamentally opposes the Mercosur trade deal – but not for the same reasons the French government does. 

They buy, hoard and sell the Earth's resources. In this episode, journalist Javier Blas helps us shed some light on the shadowy realm of billionaire commodity traders. He co-wrote with Jack Farchy "The World for Sale: Money, Power and the Traders Who Barter the Earth's Resources", about the power concentrated in the hands of a small number of commodity trading houses.

This episode of People & Profit explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the wine industry. Expert Felicity Carter explains how new tools let even small producers harness big-player insights – from vineyard decisions to consumer sales – opening up fresh economic opportunities across the entire supply chain.

How to create economic opportunities in underprivileged areas? John Hope Bryant is the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, a US non-profit that works to promote financial literacy and economic empowerment to young people and adults. A self-made millionaire himself, he has spent decades advocating on behalf of America's poorest citizens and making sure they know how to get their slice of the American Dream. He tells FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin that "financial literacy is the civil rights issue of this generation".

The World Bank was created in 1944 with a simple mission: to finance reconstruction post-World War II, a mandate that later evolved into reducing global poverty and fostering development. Over the decades, the mission has broadly stayed the same, but the methods have evolved – often through trial and error. Charles Pellegrin speaks to Axel van Trotsenburg, the outgoing senior managing director of the World Bank, who has been part of the institution for nearly 40 years.

The week, we head to Belem in Brazil where COP30, the UN's annual climate summit, is taking place. As rich nations drag their feet, will the Global South take the lead in climate action? We put the question to our guest, Charra Tesfaye Terfassa, economic and climate prosperity programme manager at the Open Society.

This week, we're heading to the Abu Dhabi Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC 2025) for a conversation with Gaurav Sharma, an independent energy analyst also know on social media as the "Oilholic". As temperatures are rising, so is energy demand. What does that mean for fossil fuels? And how will AI reshape the future of energy? We put these questions and more to our guest.

Volatile weather affecting harvests, uncertainty in global trade and rising production costs could soon make everyday treats like coffee, tea and chocolate a luxury. But are the farmers growing them getting a fair share of the price surge? Yuka Royer discusses this and more with Jason Archie-Acheampong, sustainable sourcing lead for coffee and cocoa at the Fairtrade Foundation. 
 

This week, Charles Pellegrin talks to Jaco Cilliersd, the UN development programme's representative for Palestine about the arduous task of trying to clear the millions of tonnes of rubbles from Gaza and preparing the stage for reconstruction amid a tenuous ceasefire. 

This week, we take a look at the renewable energy sector, specifically in China at a time when solar and wind power have surpassed coal in global electricity generation, according to a report by climate think tank Ember. Charles Pellegrin speaks to Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, the report's author and senior electricity analyst.