Asianometry

Saudi Arabia's Crazy Wheat Self-Sufficiency Policy


Listen Later

Saudi Arabia had long known that it had a weakness: Food. Seeking to end its dependency on food imports, Saudi Arabia in 1980 embarked on a massive self-sufficiency program fueled by oil money and fossil water. That program eventually focused on a single water thirsty crop: Wheat. Things got a bit out of control. In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, Saudi Arabia pumped more groundwater than oil. And 5% of the entire 1991 Saudi budget was being spent on growing more wheat than anyone can eat. In today's video, a noble policy with long-running water consequences.

Get all episodes of Asianometry, Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.

Listen to Stratechery.

Listen to Dithering.

Listen to Sharp China.

Listen to Sharp Tech.

Listen to Greatest Of All Talk.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

AsianometryBy Jon Y

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

24 ratings


More shows like Asianometry

View all
Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,090 Listeners

The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan

The Joe Rogan Experience

227,699 Listeners

Conversations with Tyler by Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Conversations with Tyler

2,423 Listeners

Founders by David Senra

Founders

2,099 Listeners

Darknet Diaries by Jack Rhysider

Darknet Diaries

8,010 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

7,055 Listeners

Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by Vox Media Podcast Network

Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

40 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

9,833 Listeners

Dwarkesh Podcast by Dwarkesh Patel

Dwarkesh Podcast

489 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,072 Listeners

In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen by Norges Bank Investment Management

In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen

183 Listeners

The Tucker Carlson Show by Tucker Carlson Network

The Tucker Carlson Show

16,722 Listeners

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley by BG2Pod

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley

508 Listeners

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson by Andrew Sharp and Ben Thompson

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson

96 Listeners