

The Plant Based News Podcast
Plant Based News
The Plant Based News (PBN Podcast) delivers pioneering vegan news and ethical views weekly. Your go to podcast for plant-based nutrition and everything to do with living a vegan lifestyle.
Hosts in order of episodes:
Robbie Lockie
Joe Best
Klaus Mitchell
Sarah Tweed
Shabnam Islam
Hosts in order of episodes:
Robbie Lockie
Joe Best
Klaus Mitchell
Sarah Tweed
Shabnam Islam
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 22, 2022 • 59min
The Climate Crisis and Our Food System - Interview with Nicholas Carter / Episode 80
This week's podcast is supported by our friends over at Nuzest. You can get 20% off their amazing vegan protein by visiting nuzest.us/pbn20!
Joining us on the podcast this week is environmental scientist Nicholas Carter who focuses his academic research on the scientific links between food systems & planetary health.
In his work, Nicholas elaborates on the impact of animal farming on climate change, highlighting how our diet and food system are responsible for climate change issues on a global scale.
He’s published detailed research and articles on sustainable, plant-based farming practices that largely address a number of issues surrounding animal agriculture such as water pollution, land use, and greenhouse emissions. Nicholas is also a co-founder of PlantBasedData.org –an online library of peer-reviewed articles and summaries of the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.
It contains a multitude of environmental and health research as well as reports, videos, and relevant podcast episodes that I am delighted to welcome Nicholas onto the Plant Based News podcast to discuss the hard scientific facts behind climate change as it pertains to food production and our diet.
The PBN Podcast is hosted and produced by Robbie Lockie, Edited by Phil Marriott.
Check out Plant Based Data here - https://www.plantbaseddata.org/
Follow Nicholas on Instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/nicholasdcarter/
00:00:00 Nuzest Promo
00:04:16 Starting the vegan journey
00:06:47 The planet is in trouble!
00:07:24 Climate breakdown
00:15:30 Worst case scenario: if all animals were extinct, what would that mean for us?
00:16:45 The effect that agriculture has on the land mass
00:18:55 Greta Thunberg
00:21:52 The problems with Misinformation & Disinformation
00:25:41 Why has it taken to long for global warming to be a real issue?
00:28:08 The downside of Regenerative agriculture
00:33:18 Cell-based meat/cultured meat: will it help people change their lifestyle choices?
00:37:26 Buy local: does it make a difference?
00:44:30 Dr Sailesh Rao - is there any merit to data he is promoting?
00:47:40 Zoonotic diseases: observations and findings of the pandemic
00:50:00 How Nicholas feels about the future
00:52:50 What needs to be done for the future of the planet
00:54:20 plantbaseddata.org
00:55:45 Plans for the future
00:56:55 Stranded on a desert island

Mar 2, 2022 • 1h 49min
Inspiring The Next Generation - Interview With Matthew Shribman of AimHi Earth / Episode 79
This week's podcast is supported by our friends over at Nuzest. You can get 20% off their amazing vegan protein by visiting nuzest.us/pbn20!
Joining me today on the podcast is a truly fascinating individual -scientist, environmentalist, and sustainability expert Matthew Shibman, who specialises in the climate and ecological crisis and focuses on projects for the future life on Earth. As a science educator, he aims to ignite curiosity and empower people to drive positive change and combat environmental destruction. In addition to sharing his teachings online where his videos have over 25 million views, Matthew has spoken for TEDxLondon and UN Ops and has delivered keynotes from Wildlife Trusts and the British-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce.
Matthew’s impressive portfolio of work centered around climate change includes numerous campaigns, supported by the likes of Paul McCartney, the University of Cambridge, Friends of The Earth and the Eden Project. In 2019, his campaign group, Planet A, organised for 1,000 trees to arrive outside the UK parliament. The action saw over 400 MPs collect trees, and led to the UK’s tree planting plans multiplying by a factor of 100.
A notable recent highlight of Matthew's career is the launch of AimHi Earth -a platform curating transformative learning experiences for organisations and people. AimHi educates young people in particular on climate change and has the “mission to activate a billion nature-first thinkers to build the future we all deserve”. Matthew co-founded the platform alongside school governor Henry Waite during the pandemic. Since then they’ve run sessions for the House of Lords and thousands of schools and big corporations, reaching people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
Matthew holds a 1st Class Oxford MChem, and is an award-winning science communicator. He also leads his own podcast A Piece of String. His decade-long experience as a teacher has allowed him to use his voice and his platform for good, inspiring the next generation to transform the world and how we think about climate change.
Today we are sitting down to discuss more about his journey, his mission, and his recent work with AimHi Earth. Welcome, Matthew!
The PBN Podcast is hosted and produced by Robbie Lockie, Edited by Phil Marriott.
Follow AimHi Earth here - https://www.instagram.com/AimHiLive/?hl=en
Find out more about Matthew here - https://www.matthewshribman.com/
Show Notes
00:00:00 Nuzest promo
00:01:00 Introduction to Matthew Shribman
00:03:15 Matthew Shribman’s plant-based story
00:08:45 The wonderful world inside our gut / the microbiome
00:10:59 The difficulties in getting people to change their lifestyle habits
00:15:15 Fighting the pushback against environmentalism
00:18:20 Feeling frustrated by the lack of forward movement
00:21:34 The reactions to the Don’t Look Up movie
00:28:10 Carbon capture technology
00:41:40 AimHi Earth Climate & Nature School
00:52:20 Misinformation - a parasite that exists in digital form & Disinformation
01:01:35 Sentience - how far can we go into sentience when it comes to education?
01:10:15 Building a community on social media
01:25:30 Representing facts and data
01:30:50 Why isn’t animal agriculture more urgent on the Climate Change
Agenda?
01:43:30 The future plans for AimHi Earth
01:45:35 Stranded on a desert island

Feb 16, 2022 • 1h 39min
'This Is Vegan Propaganda' - Interview With 'Earthling Ed' Winters / Episode 78
This week's podcast is supported by our friends over at Nuzest. You can get 20% off their amazing vegan protein by visiting nuzest.us/pbn20!
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I am so excited to be joined today by none other than Ed Winters (aka Earthling Ed). Ed is a vegan educator who’s content boasts over 200 million views, he has also hosted numerous viral speeches, debates, and videos engaging in dialogue with non-vegans and skeptics. Ed has delivered speeches at numerous schools, universities, and major companies including Google, he has engaging audiences all around the world.
As an activist, vegan educator and more recently a published author, he is a firm advocate for animal rights and the vegan lifestyle. Ed’s advocacy centres around compassion, empathy, and open communication. In 2016, he founded a grassroots animal rights organisation called Surge. Two years later he launched Unity Diner - a non-profit vegan restaurant in London, all the proceeds from which go directly to helping animals. The culmination of that work is his longtime passion project Surge Sanctuary, which houses rescued animals on a vast 18 acre property.
Most recently, Ed has published his first book This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You), which presents an indisputable case for veganism. This is a book that is as much for non-vegans as it is for those who already lead a vegan lifestyle, empowering them to talk more confidently about veganism with the non-vegans in their life. The book explores the effects of animal farming across the globe and how they are rooted in a number of factors that have created our current system.
I am delighted to welcome Ed and find out more about the inspiration behind the book and everything else that he has been up to with his advocacy work recently.
The PBN Podcast is hosted and produced by Robbie Lockie, Edited by Phil Marriott.
You can grab a copy of Ed’s book This Is Vegan Propaganda: (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You)’ here https://amzn.to/3JBeuAL
You can find out more about Ed here https://earthlinged.org
You can support The Surge Sanctuary here https://www.surgesanctuary.org/

Feb 2, 2022 • 1h 2min
'aBillion' Ways To Inspire Real Change - Interview With Vikas Garg / Episode 77
This week's podcast is supported by our friends over at Nuzest. You can get 20% off their amazing vegan protein by visiting nuzest.us/pbn20!
Joining us on the PBN Podcast today is Vikas Garg, CEO and founder of abillion–an online platform and app that helps people around the world live more sustainably and change the world one vegan dish and product at a time.
Born in India, raised in New York, and currently based in Singapore, Vikas has been influenced by the various cultures, mindsets, and international encounters he’s had throughout his life. He was a lifelong vegetarian, before becoming vegan in 2008. After a successful career in finance, instead of going down the traditional route, Vikas decided to put his skills and expertise towards a pursuit that aligned beliefs with his personal beliefs –a product that would do good and inspire social change. That’s how in 2017 the idea for abillion was born and the platform was launched soon after in 2018. abillion has as its mission to change the world one vegan dish or product at a time, making it easier for people around the world to live sustainably.
Users post reviews of vegan options at their favourite restaurants or of vegan products they use, creating a direct feedback loop with those businesses and manufacturers, encouraging them to make more sustainable choices. Since its inception, it has grown to include reviews of all kinds of vegan products including sustainable fashion, cosmetics, and more.
We’re sitting down today with Vikas to discuss how an app like abillion can change the way businesses interact with their customers and ultimately how that can lead to impactful social change on a global level.
Sign up to aAbillion here https://abillion.onelink.me/CNPE/pbn
The PBN Podcast is presented and produced by Robbie Lockie. Edited by Phil Marriott Researched by Antonia Georgieva. Junior Social Media Manager Darrell Sawczuk
Show Notes
00:00 Nuzest Promo
02:10 The beginning of Vikas’s plant-based journey
05:45 The impact that Earthlings had on Vikas
10:00 The role of the cow in Indian culture
13:00 The development and popularity of animal-free foods in India
15:00 How do people in India look at the removal of animal products from your lifestyle?
20:41 Building the Abillion business
40:20 The Social Dilemma - the horrifying behaviours behind social media
46:29 Social change: how can you make more of an impact with your ideas?
57:10 Stranded on a desert island

Jan 19, 2022 • 34min
"We bought this pandemic on ourselves" | Jane Goodall - Episode 76
Today we are delighted to welcome the legendary Dame Jane Goodall.
A leading ethologist, conservationist, anthropologist and activist, Jane Goodall has been a beacon for the scientific and conservation community for decades. Her groundbreaking research and observations on chimpanzee behaviour at the Gombe National Park in Tanzania began as early as the 1960s. In 1977, she established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), which carries on the Gombe research while also advocating for the protection of their natural habitats and spearheading innovative, community-centered conservation programs in Africa.
Jane Goodall’s activist work extends into raising awareness for the lives and wellbeing of all animals. She has campaigned for the ethical treatment of animals and has spoken against cruel and inhumane practices and medical testing on animals.
Jane Goodall’s latest book The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, co-authored with bestselling author of The Book of Joy Douglas Abrams, was published at the end of last year. With a lifetime’s worth of research and stories about our relationship to nature, the authors delve into the complex relationship that humankind has with the planet we inhabit. The book highlights the ways in which we can redefine that relationship by discovering and embracing hope in the face of the urgent climate crisis.
In 2021, she also was awarded the Templeton Prize, and she currently continues to write and teach on conservation issues.
We are beyond thrilled to have sat down with Jane Goodall for this enlightening conversation, discussing animal suffering, climate change, and the most powerful asset in our toolkit – hope.

Jan 5, 2022 • 1h 22min
Toxic Masculinity, Veganism, and Music - Exclusive Interview with Zak Abel | Episode 75
This week's podcast is supported by our friends over at Nuzest. You can get 20% off their amazing vegan protein by visiting nuzest.us/pbn20!
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Today we’re sitting down with singer-songwriter Zak Abel, who often speaks up about his journey with veganism. Zak is a Londoner of Moroccan-English descent. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the dance music industry including Wookie, Gorgon City, Kaytranada, Don Diablo and Kygo. His style infuses soul, funk, and pop into an infinitely cool and distinct sound.
Zak has previously shared that becoming vegan was one of the best decisions he’s ever made, as it allowed him to live his best life knowing that he is not harming any animals.
In his latest single “Less of a Man” he tackles the topic of toxic masculinity head on. It’s a vibrant and catchy tune with witty lyrics that make the track into a bold musical statement.
Follow Zak on instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/zakabel/
The PBN Podcast is presented and produced by Robbie Lockie. Edited by Phil Marriott Researched by Antonia Georgieva. Social Media Manager Giuseppe Federici.
Show Notes
00:00:00 Nuzest Promo
00:02:42 The beginning of Zak’s vegan journey
00:06:27 Carnism - our attitudes towards food
00:10:37 Growing up in the UK / Identity forming
00:16:35 The balance between the masculine and the feminine
00:19:00 The inspiration behind writing the ‘Less Of A Man’ song
00:39:20 CALM: Campaign Against Living Miserably / Suicide Prevention
00:46:45 Cancel culture
00:49:30 The death of Caroline Flack / Inspiration behind writing the ‘Be Kind’ song
00:53:45 Hearing debut single ‘These Are The Days’ on the radio for the first time
00:55:20 Writing songs at The Roundhouse, London
00:56:55 Working with influential producers such as Joker, Kaytranada and Shakka
00:59:16 Zak on the devastation of losing his hearing and having an ear operation
01:08:10 The idea behind Zak’s song, ‘Vegan’
01:15:30 Exciting projects in the pipeline for 2022
01:19:32 Stranded on a desert island

Dec 22, 2021 • 52min
'Making Veganism Mainstream' Interview with Henry Frith & Ian Theasby from BOSH! / Episode 74
This week's podcast is supported by our friends over at Nuzest. You can get 20% off their amazing vegan protein. Visit https://nuzest.us/pbn20 to get money off your first order.
Joining us on the podcast today are Henry Firth & Ian Theasby, co-founders of BOSH! – the vegan platform that has changed how people think about vegan food showing the world how easy plant-based cooking can be. From two mates from Sheffield to a global sensation, dubbed the Bosh! Boys or “the vegan Ant and Dec”, the duo is as close to vegan superstars as you can get. Since launching their first video in June 2016, which received 3.5 million views in the first week alone, they have taken the plant-based world by storm with delicious and easy-to-follow recipe videos and cookbooks.
In 2018, their chart-topping signature cookbook BOSH! Became the first vegan cookbook to rise to number 1 in the Sunday Times bestseller chart and since then they have published several cookbooks that further aim to demystify plant-based eating, share inventive recipes, and show how easy and delicious it can be to eat plants.
Ian credits a New Year’s resolution for the life-changing decision to go vegetarian and then vegan. Henry’s journey, similarly, transformed him overnight from an avid meat-eater to a vegan with a personal mission of demonstrating the life-changing effects of plant-based eating and its global impact on reducing climate change. Henry and Ian are a home-taught cook and have always been big foodies, but what really sets them apart is their personal approach and their great passion for making a meaningful difference.
Today the BOSH! platform keeps on growing and reaches millions of people online each month. From launching an online sensation reaching more than half a billion people in their first year to becoming the most-viewed and most-loved plant-based recipe channel, BOSH! is a platform for social good that stands for making a difference in the world through a plant-based revolution one delicious meal at a time.
I am so excited to welcome Henry and Ian today on the podcast and learn more about the spectacular journey of BOSH!
Find out more about bosh! On their website: https://www.bosh.tv
Buy Bosh! On a budget https://amzn.to/3msIfKL
Buy Speedy Bosh! - https://amzn.to/3EqDzeM
Buy Bosh! Healthy Vegan - https://amzn.to/32wqKlS
The PBN Podcast is presented and produced by Robbie Lockie. Edited by Phil Marriott Researched by Antonia Georgieva. Social Media Manager Giuseppe Federici.
Show Notes
00:00:00 Nuzest Promo
00:05:00 The start of Henry and Ian’s vegan journey
00:10:48 The stigma of meat being “manly” and the changing attitudes of men embracing veganism
00:15:40 The conversation of mental health and dealing with challenges
00:18:24 The importance of exercise for mental health
00:20:08 The ‘a-ha’ moment / realising business success
00:24:08 How Henry and Ian are perceived by the public
00:25:00 How to avoid conflict in a business partnership
00:27:38 Deciding on which areas of the business to put your energy
00:29:48 The Bosh! Ready-meals
00:32:50 Favourites in the Bosh! product range
00:34:15 The development of filming recipes - from a mysterious “pair of hands” to familiar faces
00:39:51 The creative process - where the inspiration comes from
00:41:58 Deciding on the most effective social media platform to push the Bosh! message
00:44:00 The book range
00:48:00 Stranded on a desert island

Dec 15, 2021 • 1h 25min
"This Movement Needs To Be A Sprint" - Dominick Thompson | Episode 73
This week's podcast is sponsored by Nuzest - use code PBN20 to get 20% off your first order of their sustainable golden pea protein 👉 https://plnt.news/pbn20
Dominick Thompson is a vegan bodybuilder, Ironman triathlete, animal rights activist, and social entrepreneur who began documenting his meat-free lifestyle on social media in 2012 in an effort to turn the traditional perception of masculinity on its head.
Dominick first adopted a vegetarian diet during a three-year stint in prison for dealing drugs. He soon realised that the animals that people eat were also confined like him, yet they had done nothing wrong.
After being released from prison in 2005, Dominick found a career as a traveling healthcare executive while managing to complete 100-mile bike rides and compete in 10 triathlons a year.
On New Year’s Day 2019, Dominick launched Eat What Elephants Eat - a nutrition and wellness program that helps others embrace veganism with individualised meal planning, recipes, tips and tricks.
Dominick’s social media platforms and business ventures continue to grow whilst producing some of the most inspiring and powerfully persuasive content to hundreds of thousands of followers.
Follow Dominick on instagram 👉 instagram.com/domzthompson
Check out Dominick's website 👉 https://kitchen.eatwhatelephantseat.com
00:00:00 Sponsor
00:01:40 Introduction to Dominick Thompson
00:03:38 The beginning of Dominick’s vegan journey
00:06:36 What makes us different to other people?
00:09:25 Hypersensitivity and expectations of masculinity
00:14:51 Orange Is The New Black / U.S. Prisons running as private corporations
00:21:07 How Dominick is getting his vegan message across to others
00:24:00 Food culture / stereotypes within communities
00:27:58 Using social media to spread the message of compassion / dealing with trolls
00:30:25 Witnessing a murder at a young age and dealing with trauma
00:36:13 Eat What Elephants Eat / The philosophies of eating vegan food
00:41:28 What I Eat In A Day: Dominick’s daily meal planning
00:44:20 Avoiding burn-out
00:46:36 Tackling social justice on social media
00:54:00 Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta - a future beyond any one company?
00:58:46 Dominick Thompson’s first major book deal
01:02:00 Mentally preparing to stay fit
01:05:30 Stamping out racism
01:07:58 Do we learn evil behaviour? Or is it within us?
01:18:46 Dominick’s vision of the future
01:21:39 Stranded on a desert island
Producer: Robbie Lockie
Editor: Phil Marriott
Research: Antonia Georgieva
Social Manager: Giuseppe Federici

Dec 8, 2021 • 55min
“Veganism Is Not A Cruelty Free Lifestyle” - The Power Of Social Justice With Iye Bako. Episode 72
Our guest on the podcast today is vegan activist, educator, content creator, and social justice advocate Iye Bako, whose work promotes the fight for collective liberation –be that financial freedom, time freedom, or location freedom –for both humans and animals. Originally from Nigeria and raised in the United States, Iye studied Spanish Literature and International Business at the Ohio State University.
She currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, where she is also a member of the advisory board of Plant the Power 614 –a local nonprofit organization that seeks to create a supportive plant-based community for people of African descent. Through her social media presence and the Iye Loves Life platform she shares educational insights with her followers, highlighting the Black vegan experience and being a firm advocate of animal rights. Through her sensitivity and empathy, Iye’s intersectional look at veganism and the systems we exist within promotes a complex understanding of the issues we face as a human race today. We are delighted to welcome Iye onto this episode of the Plant Based News podcast to talk about her vegan journey and the important work she does for both the vegan community and the Black vegan community through her advocacy and activism.
You can follow Iye Bako here https://www.instagram.com/iyeloveslife
The PBN Podcast is produced & presented by Robbie Lockie, Researched by Antonia Georgieva and edited by Phil Marriot.

Dec 1, 2021 • 52min
Veganism, Vaccines & Misinformation with Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez Episode 71
This week's supporter is a Swiss vegan meat brand Planted: Please use their webshop discount code PBN20 (valid for 1st time use for customers, currently end-date set for end of January 22). https://www.eatPlanted.com
With us today is leading plant-based physician Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, CEO Human Restoration Program and Founder of VeggiePower Summit – the largest medical seminar in Latin America that educates people about the science of plant-based nutrition.
Originally from Mexico, Mauricio’s journey began first with studying nutrition before deciding to continue onto a medical degree in the US, where he is currently a resident at the Metropolitan hospital in New York. During his studies, he came to realize how little attention is paid to nutrition as part of a more holistic view on health and wellness, which pushed him to switch to a plant-based diet himself and fill the gap he identified between nutrition and medicine.
Through his platform Mauricio teaches others how to adopt a healthy plant-based diet and change their lives for the better. As the founder of the first ever plant-based medical immersion program in Latin America, he educates other people including physicians and nutritionists on the health benefits of having a vegan diet and the science behind it. His YouTube channel also reaches thousands of people, inspiring people in Latin American countries and all around the world to make a positive change in their lives.
The simple idea of food as medicine is the guiding principle of what Mauricio teaches, making the plant-based lifestyle a question of personal health and wellbeing.
Follow Dr Gonzalez here https://www.instagram.com/dr.mauriciogonzalez/?hl=en
Find out more about Veggie Power Summit here https://www.veggiepowersummit.com/
The Plant Based News Podcast is hosted by Robbie Lockie, Edited by Phil Marriottand Researched by Antonia Georgieva.
***Show Notes***
00:02:25 The start of Mauricio’s plant-based journey
00:05:30 Lifestyle changes that are happening around the world
00:08:26 The frustrations of the pro-meat and pro-dairy ad campaigns
00:11:30 Does the vegan community have a problem with science?
00:13:55 Deciphering what is fact and fiction. Are we misled by what we see online?
00:16:50 The problems that anti-vaccine protestors are causing.
00:19:50 The problems with misinformation that is being shared on social media
00:22:45 The differences between Misinformation and Disinformation
00:27:45 What are the key barriers that are stopping people adopting the vegan lifestyle?
00:32:30 Lifestyle and medicine
00:35:35 How is it possible for a GP to spend more time with their patients?
00:40:00 Are people wilfully ignorant about the vegan lifestyle?
00:43:40 Do people genuinely trust the giant pharmaceutical companies?
00:47:00 The Veggie Power Summit
00:48:48 Exciting new projects in the pipeline
00:50:00 Stranded on a desert island