Who was John Francis Queeny, the broke Irish-American salesman who founded one of the most powerful and controversial companies in the history of modern agriculture – without knowing the first thing about chemistry? Why did a secret deal with Coca-Cola, a presidential letter, and a warehouse full of matches save his fledgling empire from collapse? And how does the unlikely story of a fake sweetener made from coal tar in St. Louis open a window onto the birth of the American chemical industry; from patent medicines and caffeine trials to the fossil chemistry that would one day reshape what the entire world eats?
Join John and Patrick as they begin their six-part series on Monsanto – the company that started with saccharin and ended up controlling the farm – in an age when there were no labels, no regulations, and absolutely no shortage of things that could kill you…
———-
In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
———–
Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.
Support us!
- Share this episode with your friends
- Give a 5-star rating
- Write a review
———–
Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.
———–
Instagram, TikTok, Threads:
@historyoffreshproduce