Feed: a food systems podcast

Ville Lähde, a philosopher and environmental researcher from the BIOS Research Unit in Finland, dives into the complexities of biodiversity. He emphasizes that biodiversity loss is more than just extinction lists; it reflects localized crises impacting ecosystems. Ville shares his personal connection with nature through gardening and composting. He critiques dominant food systems for their detachment from biodiversity while calling for a broader understanding that transcends simplistic metrics. His insights urge a political and context-specific approach to environmental issues.

Hester van Hensbergen, a TABLE writer and researcher focused on food systems, dives into the complexities of naturalness in food debates. She discusses how perceptions of ultra-processed foods create a misleading divide between nature and technology. The conversation explores health implications, the influence of advertisements, and the importance of evidence-based evaluations. Hester also sheds light on the socio-economic impacts of ultra-processed foods and advocates for a balanced approach that embraces innovation while promoting sustainability and equity.

It feels like one of the biggest questions of our time: what do we do about meat? Rather than choosing either extreme – business as usual, or ruling out meat altogether – some people suggest the best approach is one of ‘less and better meat’. But how much less is ‘less’? And which meat is ‘better’? How do we even begin to answer these questions?"Less and Better?" is an eight-part podcast series co-hosted by Katie Revell and Olivia Oldham at Farmerama Radio. Listen to the rest of the series here or wherever you get your podcasts.More info, resources and transcript can be found here.

Women scientists from the Global South share insights on improving crop productivity with microbes, creating nutritious composite flour, and addressing animal diseases. They advocate for holistic approaches to transform food systems and emphasize the importance of science-based solutions.

Experts discuss key messages for transforming food systems, including economic inequalities, gender actions, agricultural trade impacts on emissions, and environmental reporting. They explore global food price disparities, gender roles, and stakeholder collaboration in creating sustainable solutions.

In this insightful discussion, Martin van Ittersum, a plant production systems expert, explores the evolution of global food systems over six decades, highlighting trends in hunger and obesity. He stresses the need for improved productivity in Africa and sustainable practices in Europe. Joanna Trewern, a director at ProVeg International, advocates for managing food demand within ecological limits, promoting policy diversity and social marketing solutions. Their collective insights from the Global Food Security Conference reveal vital strategies for making food systems more resilient.

While many wonder about the technological hurdles preventing cultivated meat from entering commercial markets, fewer ask a more basic question: will people actually eat it, or will they find it too unnatural? In this episode, we're joined by Cor van der Weele, emeritus professor in philosophy from Wageningen University, who has had a front-row seat to the past 15 years of shifting perceptions of this technology. We'll dive into how a philosopher thinks about “naturalness”, what are the public concerns and the idealistic visions of a cultivated meat future, and why mixed feelings about this innovation could be a healthy sign of progress. For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode62GuestsCor van der Weele, Professor Emeritus Endowed Chair at Wageningen University.Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

In this engaging discussion, food anthropologist Lauren Crossland-Marr delves into the world of CRISPR and gene-edited foods. She compares traditional breeding with modern gene editing, emphasizing the speed and precision of CRISPR. Lauren shares intriguing insights from her research, including a GABA-enhanced tomato and the skepticism surrounding it. She also highlights the polarized views on what 'natural' means, the potential benefits of gene technologies, and the importance of regulation in a rapidly evolving food landscape. This thought-provoking conversation challenges listeners to reconsider the future of our food systems.

What influences the meals we enjoy today? Meal historian and cultural researcher Richard Tellström from Stockholm University suggests that the surrounding natural environments and ecosystems only play a minimal role. Instead, he argues that our choices are primarily shaped by cultural, political and economic forces. This episode dives into the dramatic shifts in Swedish diets over the past century, highlighting how changes such as new food preservation methods in the 1970s, Sweden's entry into the European Union in the 1990s, and shifting cultural trends throughout have redefined what's fashionable, and therefore possible, to eat. This is the second installment of a two-part series, following our first episode with archaeological chemist Amy Styring who investigates what our ancestors ate during periods of significant societal transitions. Listen to Part 1.For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode60GuestsRichard Tellström, Associate Professor at Stockholm UniversityEpisode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Around 6000 years ago in Northwest Europe, our ancestors transitioned from hunter-gatherer societies to sedentary farming. How did their diets change during this time? The field of archaeological sciences and chemistry teamed up to shed new light on this question. In this episode, we ask Amy Styring, archaeological chemist at the University of Oxford, what's her take on a natural diet, whether we overestimate the role of meat in our past diets, and what lessons can we learn today if we have a better understanding of how people produced and ate food in the past?This is the first of a two-part series. Next week we hear from a meal historian on the role culture plays in informing what we eat.For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode59GuestsAmy Styring, Associate Professor at the University of OxfordEpisode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.