When I watched this episode, I wasn’t consciously making this kind of connection (instead I was just craving a good loaf of sourdough), but this is a good reminder of how important bread (and grain) have been and continue to be to a large portion of the globe.

Bread and grain have been in the headlines a lot in recent conflicts. From the shocks to the global grain markets due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and then the subsequent rise and fall of the grain export deal, culminating in a grain export corridor. The resulting price shocks led to unrest in countries for which a small increase in a staple food has dramatic impacts on affordability (Ukraine’s grain largely went to Africa and the Middle East during peacetime). The effects of the Ukrainian grain has also had dramatic effects on politics within the EU, leading to farmer-led political movements in nearby nations (especially Poland). Another example is Egypt (mentioned in your article), a country which, just in the past month, has quadrupled the price of bread for its poorest residents.

Thanks for the contribution! Just as an aside, I wanted to read more about the reserved occupations, but baker wasn’t listed in the source you linked. However, I found a baker-specific article here that scratched the itch.

Relevant: history of the entire world… according to bread