Feed: a food systems podcast

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.

500 scientists from 60 countries gathered at the 5th Global Food Security Conference in Leuven, Belgium. Instead of saying, "you had to be there," we bring you voices and reflections from the conference. Host Matthew Kessler recorded dozens of interviews, asking experts what key messages they want to deliver to those with the power to change food systems, what are the economics of food systems transformation, and which solutions to make food systems more resilient deserve more attention. This is Part 1 of a 3-part series, made with the support from ‘shout it out’, an instrument of the Global Minds program.For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode63Subscribe to TABLE's newsletter FodderGuestsMartin van Ittersum, Conference co-chair, Professor at Wageningen UniversityTessa Avermaete, Conference co-chair, Project Manager at KU LeuvenRamya Ambikapathi, Scientific committee member, Senior Researcher at Cornell UGerard Govers, Programme committee mebmer, Vice-rector of Science, Engineering and Technology and Vice-rector of Sustainability at KU LeuvenJoanna Trewern, Conference Keynote, Director of Partnerships and Institutional Engagement at Pro Veg InternationalMaitre d’hotel at Coeur Catering, responsible for food served at the conferenceConference OrganizersElsevierKU LeuvenWageningen University and ResearchTABLEEpisode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

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.

If more and more gene-edited foods become common on our plates, is that a sign of a promising or worrying food future?  With Dr. Lauren Crossland-Marr, food anthropologist and host of the podcast A CRISPR Bite, we unpack whether it’s fair to call CRISPR a natural way of "speeding up the breeding" process, whether technological innovations such as gene editing are addressing root causes of food systems challenges, and if there’s space for middle ground on such a polarizing issue.For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode61GuestsLauren Crossland-Marr, Assistant Professor at the University of La VerneResourcesFirst Fruit by Belinda MartineauChanna Prakash on GMs, Golden Rice and the Green RevolutionEpisode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

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.

Is it possible to eat enough white-tailed deer to keep their populations low enough to restore ecosystems? We posed this question to Bernd Blossey, professor at Cornell University who specializes in the management of invasive species and the restoration of disrupted ecological relationships.In this episode, we look at the history of white-tailed deer in the eastern forests of the United States, how many we would need to harvest to keep the population in check, and whether the concept of ecosystem balance is scientific or a fantasy.This is the third and final part of our series exploring whether we can eat our way out of the problems we’ve created. Let us know what you think by sending us an email or a voice memo to podcast@tablededebates.org.For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode58GuestsBernd Blossey, Professor at Cornell UniversityEpisode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.