Grace Livingstone investigates the ongoing case a group of men in Panama have brought against banana firms. We hear from two of the men who claim they were made sterile after handling a pesticide in their jobs on banana plantations.

United States companies used a pesticide called DBCP on banana plantations in Latin America in the late 1970s, even though the United States restricted and then banned its use in mainland America because of the health risks. We ask why – even today - pesticides that are outlawed in one country can still be exported and used abroad.

Presenter / producer: Grace Livingstone Image: Mr Coba at the banana plantation where he used to work; Credit: Grace Livingstone

In this episode of Business Daily, the latest in our series on women, sport and business, we’re looking at the media. With women’s sport accounting for only around 5% of the total sports coverage globally, we’ll be finding out how some clubs and organisations are moving away from traditional media, and looking at digital and streaming to reach fans instead. Reporter Sam Fenwick visits Burnley FC Women in the north of England. Last year they signed a ground breaking deal with TikTok to show every home game. And we hear from TikTok themselves – Rich Waterworth, General Manager for the UK and Europe explains what’s in it for them. Sue Anstiss is the author of Game On: The unstoppable rise of women’s sport. She tells us fans of all sports are consuming content differently now, and if women’s sport gets it right, there could be a big opportunity in the digital market. And Haley Rosen, founder and CEO of digital media company Just Women’s Sports explains her frustration at trying to set up a business in a growing marketplace which is lacking in investment and infrastructure. Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Helen Thomas Image: (Burnley FC Women in December 2021. Credit: George Wood/Getty Images)

By 2024, virtual reality is expected to reach a value of $1.2bn in the healthcare sector alone – and it’s already seeing adoption in major public healthcare bodies like the UK’s National Health Service. But many private businesses are the ones leading the change and working closely with hospitals, universities and pharmaceutical giants.

We speak three businesses in three different parts of the world to find out what they’re doing to change healthcare. We hear from Matthew Wordley, CEO of the Wales-based company Rescape Innovation, Vini Gusmao, who leads the Brazillian company Medroom, and also speak to Kensuke Joji, CEO of Jolly Good VR, based in Japan.

Producer / presenter: Rory Claydon Image: A woman wearing a VR headset and face mask; Credit: BBC

Lots of people want to work in the military in India – the jobs offered security, prospects and a gold-plated pension. But a new Government plan to change military employment contracts has drawn criticism and led to protests. The Government say the changes will tackle the increasing cost of military pensions and stubbornly high unemployment across India.

Rahul Tandon and reporter Archana Shukla will explain why so many young people feel cheated by the plan to shorten military contracts and remove the right for many recruits to a pension. We hear from those attempting to get into the military, former officers, the Government and economists on the new contracts and ask what impact they could have on India's long standing youth unemployment problem.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon Reporter: Archana Shukla Producer: Carmel O'Grady

Image

We take a look at the fortunes of Bollywood and Lollywood post pandemic. We’ll ask what the future holds for the film industries of India and Pakistan and explore whose creative ideas and business innovations in cinema are proving to be a hit with audiences.

Emb Hashmi speaks to the stars of the new Lollywood film 'London Nahi Jaunga' and Nikhil Inamdar visits a Bollywood film set. We also hear from critics, directors and analysts who tell us what they think both film industries need to do to increase profits and box office numbers.

Presenter: Emb Hashmi Reporting: Nikhil Inamdar Producer: Carmel O'Grady

Image:Humayun Saeed and Kubra Khan; Credit: BBC

Ashish Sharma explores the problems facing one of the world’s oldest sports.

A governance crisis has engulfed the sport of weightlifting and it faces an uncertain future, and as it stands weightlifting won´t feature in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

We explore the financial implications for this iconic Olympic sport if it loses the funding it gets for being on the Olympic agenda. We speak to young weightlifters about their future in the sport, attend a weightlifting contest in Mexico and report from the election for the new head of the International Weightlifting Federation.

Producer / presenter: Ashish Sharma Image: Turkey's Daniyar Ismayilov competes at Rio 2016; Credit: Salih Zeki Fazlolu / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

In this episode of Business Daily, the latest in our series on women, sport and business, it's all about the merch.

We'll explore how important replica tops and kits actually are for women’s sport in terms of fandom, participation and of course money. We ask what female sports fans and participants actually want to wear and whether they're being adequately catered for.

Dr Katie Lebel is Professor at the University of Guelph in Canada and researches gender equity in sports branding and consumer behaviour. She tells us there is a distinct lack of data in this area and as a result sports wear firms are definitely missing out on revenue.

Dana Brookman is founder of the Canadian girl's baseball league and tells us her biggest challenge has been sourcing suitable uniform for her teams, and Sam Fenwick visits sport wear manufacturer Kukri to see what they have available for women and how they're working to improve their offer.

Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Carmel O'Grady Image: Canadian girls baseball; Credit: Dana Brookman

We’re going to explore what’s available and whether half the population is being properly catered for in terms of sports gear...

Are you a proud sharent? That is a parent who loves to post about your child online. Some have even turned it into a lucrative business, with incomes boosted by advertising deals and merchandise sales.

Deborah Weitzmann meets Gemma Alster and her daughter Gigi. They tell us about working with brands to make advertising content for social media.

We also find out why brands around the world are cashing in on the kid-fluencer craze with global brand expert Eddie Hammerman. In many countries, a lack of financial and psychological protection for child influencers is a cause for concern. Policy makers tell us how child labour regulations should be brought up to date to reflect the growth in this space.

Presenter/producer: Deborah Weitzmann Image: Gigi; Credit: Gemma Alster

Millions of people in Peru and Chile have been allowed to empty their retirement pots to cope with Covid-19 and rising prices, putting the pension system and the economy at risk.

Chilean Senator Alejandra Sepulveda explains why she supported early pension withdrawals as a one-time emergency measure to reactivate the economy while the OECD’s expert on pensions Pablo Antolin explains the relevance of restricting this kind of initiatives to only those in need.

We also hear from pension-dippers Ana Alvarez, Antonio Aliaga, and Antonio Valladares on why they don’t trust the pension system in their countries and Peruvian business reporter Karina Montoya reflects on how free pension-dipping during the pandemic has completely changed the way people see retirement funds in her country.

All this money leaving retirement funds at the same time is having consequences in the economy, as the former finance minister of Peru, David Tuesta, and the current finance minister of Chile, Mario Marcel, tell us.

Presenter / producer: Stefania Gozzer Image: Pension jar; Credit: Getty

We explore the world of video game streaming - where players connect their screens to platforms such as Twitch or YouTube so that fans can watch them play.

Elizabeth Hotson talks to Aoife Wilson, head of video at video game website Eurogamer who’s an enthusiastic streamer and industry watcher; she explains why watching people play games has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry.

The BBC’s Faarea Masud gives a fan’s perspective, whilst Sam Matthews, CEO of e-sports brand, Fnatic gives us an insight into the money-making potential of competitive gaming. Thomas Slattery from gaming venue, Platform, in London, tells us why he thinks streaming is so important right now.

Presenter / producer: Elizabeth Hotson Image: A gamer; Credit: Getty Images

Brazilians will go to the polls to elect their next president in October. With Jair Bolsonaro trailing in polls behind former leader Lula da Silva, many voters say the economy is their main worry.

We speak to small business owners in Vitoria, Espirito Santo, to get their thoughts on how financial concerns may influence voters’ choices. Mauricio Moura, founder of polling company IDEIA, tells us that the economy has never been as crucial going into a Brazilian election in modern history as it is this year.

Former Central Bank governor Gustavo Franco says he’s concerned that some people have forgotten the country’s struggles with high levels of inflation in recent decades. Solange Srour, Chief Economist of Credit Suisse Brasil, says the reduction in government benefit payments introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic have dented the president’s popularity. And Wilson Ferrarezi from TS Lombard tells us that the most pressing structural challenge for whoever wins the vote in October is reforming Brazil’s tax system. With additional reporting by Sarita Reed in Vitoria, Espirito Santo.

Presenter / producer: Tom Kavanagh Image: Homeless people in Sao Paulo; Credit: NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images

To coincide with the start of the Women's Euros and the Africa Women Cup of Nations, Business Daily launches a new series on women, sport and business.

Haley Rosen is a former pro soccer player who now runs the digital sports media company Just Women’s Sports. When she stopped playing, Haley realised she couldn't access even basic information about women's sports, including fixtures, scores and all the other statistics available to those following male sports. Haley tells Sam Fenwick how she set up her digital media platform and secured more than $3.5 million in investment. They also discuss what needs to change to make sure female sporting stars are treated on a par with their male counterparts.

Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Helen Thomas

Image: Haley Rosen; Credit: Getty