Synopsis

John Letts had a “Howard Carter in Tutankhamun’s tomb” moment when he was handed a shoebox full of 550-year-old ears of wheat.  As a chef, archeobotanist and roof thatcher turned plant breeder, he brings a radically different perspective on what’s needed in grain varieties for the era of climate change.  In this episode of Plant Breeding Stories, John explains how taking the long view shaped his approach to breeding and grain production, causing him to prioritise resilience and sustainability over maximising yield per se.  His entrepreneurial resourcefulness allowed him to largely self-fund his research and turn received wisdom in both conventional and organic farming systems on its head – with remarkable results.