Before you listen to this BBC podcast I'd like to tell you why I love

podcasting. I'm Natasha Aronson I'm an assistant commissioner for the BBC and I work on

making podcasts my real passion is discovering unbelievable unheard stories and working with the biggest

stars who can really bring those stories to life.

I love the whole process of making podcasts from the spark of an idea to hearing the final edit.

There's nothing like it. What makes BBC Podcast special is that we're working for you.

So whatever we commission has to reflect the things that you care about and love wherever you are in the UK.

So if you like this BBC podcast, there's so much more to discover.

Have a listen on BBC sounds.

Hello and thanks for downloading the more or less podcast,

the show which does a double take at the numbers in the news and in life.

I'm Tim Harford. Corn is the number one crop in the US.

That's corn as in maize, as in sweet corn, corn on the cob, you know those versatile little

yellow bits of vegetable goodness. And it is fair to say that Americans really like corn. The esteemed magazine National Geographic has a number.

People in the United States eat more than 672 billion pounds of corn per year, which breaks down to more

than 2,000 pounds per person annually. This would equal about five and a half pounds or two

and a half kilograms of corn per person per day. I hope your digestive system is up to

scratch.

Luckily one more or less listener was paying attention.

Nothing new there.

Paul Navai wrote to us more or less at BBC.co.

UK.

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