Shelf Life

Shane goes on a global journey to discover how supermarkets have reshaped our lives and our planet.

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Shelf Life Human Footprint

Premiered June 25, 2025

Shelf Life

Shane travels from New York City to rural Thailand to explore the Human Footprint of the supermarket – a 20th century innovation that transformed our relationship with food, reshaping our bodies, our society, and our planet along the way.

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Episode Extras

Shane and Ben Lorr trace the supermarket’s rise — and what it says about what we value.

Watch (04:18)

Clip

The Birth of the Supermarket: How Convenience Took Over the Way We Shop

Shane uncovers the hidden labor behind shrimp — and the global systems that keep us in the dark.

Watch (13:11)

Clip

The True Cost of Shrimp: What the Grocery Store Doesn’t Show You

Shane and Michael Moss examine how processed food took over our shelves — and our willpower.

Watch (06:24)

Clip

How Cereal, Sugar, and Big Business Rewired Our Diets

All Episodes

Human Footprint: Season 2

Shelf Life: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Watch (06:24)

Shelf Life

Program Specials & Extras

Watch the rise of a productive crop that has managed to replace itself, but at what cost?

Watch (11:24)

Special

How Corn Took Over the World

The cultural and resource costs for manicured lawns and golf courses are quite shocking.

Watch (11:29)

Special

The Watery Price Of Golf Courses & Lawns

Observe the rich diversity of dog breeds, shaped by genes and human intervention.

Watch (12:43)

Special

How Dogs Are Shaping The Future Of Medicine

About the Program

Human Footprint

Earth has never experienced anything like us: a single species dominating and transforming the planet. Biologist Shane Campbell-Staton travels the globe to explore our Human Footprint and to discover how the things we do reveal who we truly are.

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