Most industries have a clear roadmap for transformation. The power sector goes renewable. Cars go electric. But food and agriculture? The world’s most impactful—and most damaging—industry still has no shared path to transformation. Food sustainability consultant and retail expert Mike Barry argues that the future of food hinges on one counterintuitive idea: simplification. And he explains how AI, smarter data, and design can potentially speed up change.

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
episode93

Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org

Episode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Instead of tell people what to eat, what if we changed what food costs? With Jörgen Larsson (researcher from Chalmers University), we explore a cost-neutral tax reform, one that makes healthier and climate-friendly food cheaper without raising the overall grocery bill. We break down how it works, why it matters, and how to frame it in ways that avoid predictable backlash.

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
episode92

Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org

Episode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Can we have more honest conversations about the future of food and agriculture? That’s the plea from Ken Giller, recently retired professor at Wageningen University, after four decades of witnessing both progress and setbacks in supporting farmers worldwide. We discuss the dangers of populist narratives that oversimplify agricultural challenges, how to reshape research incentives to embrace complexity and nuance, why he opposes carbon credit schemes for farmers, and more.

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
episode83

Guests

• Ken Giller, Wageningen University

Host

• Matthew Kessler, TABLE

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

What else should we consider when shifting to natural, whole foods—beyond just their health benefits? Feminist Food Journal co-founders Isabela Bonnevera and Zoë Johnson explore the deeper questions: whose labor makes these diets possible, who can afford them, and how culture and experience shape our food choices. We dive into these issues and uncover how a simple "natural foods" search on TikTok exposes striking gender dynamics.

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
episode82

Guests

• Isabela Bonnevera, FFJ + ICTA-UAB
• Zoë Johnson, FFJ + GPPi

Host

• Jackie Turner, TABLE

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Is the battle over who controls and owns agricultural data one of the most important—and least discussed—fights in 21st-century farming? In this conversation, Jennifer Clapp (prof at the University of Waterloo and member of IPES-Food) explores the deep ties between fossil fuels and our food system, tracing their influence from fertilizers and pesticides to farm mechanization and digital agriculture. She unpacks how fossil-fueled inputs have shaped—and continue to shape—modern farming. 

For more info and resources, please visit our episode webpage.

Guests

• Jennifer Clapp, IPES-Food

Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Fuel to Fork is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

We gathered in Oxford to ask: Is a fossil free food system possible? 3 panelists: a farmer, an economist and biodiversity researcher, shared their expert perspectives. What technologies are on the horizon? What uncertainties do they bring? Is it better to farm differently, eat differently, plug in better tech, restrain environmentally damaging practices of food and agribusinesses, or all of the above?

Visit the episode webpage for more resources.

This series is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

Guests

• Helen Browning, Soil Association
• Rupert Simons, SystemIQ
• Emile Frison, IPES-Food

Produced by Matthew Kessler, Robbie Blake and Chantal Clément. Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

View a 90 minute video of the full panel discussion 

Learn more about the Oxford Real Farming Conference
 

What would a food system free of fossil fuels look like by 2050? What insights surprised the experts featured in this series? And what trade-offs must we navigate to shape this future? In our final episode, we shift from acknowledging the 'fossil fuel problem in food' to exploring actionable solutions.

Visit the episode webpage for more resources.

This series is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

Guests

• Raj Patel, IPES-Food
• Anna Lappé, Global Alliance for the Future of Food
• Darrin Qualman, National Farmers Union (Canada)
• Galina Angarova, SIRGE
• Molly Anderson, IPES-Food

Produced by Matthew Kessler, Anna Paskal and Nicole Pita. Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Fossil fuels are hiding in plain sight in our kitchens—powering stoves and cooling refrigerators, plus they're fueling supply chains. They shape how we cook, eat and connect with food. In this episode, we explore how to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in home and commercial kitchens. What counts as a 'clean' cooking fuel in Malawi versus the United States? And what would it take to transform the energy grid powering our food systems? Researchers, chefs, and activists weigh in.

Visit the episode webpage for more resources.

This series is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

Guests

• Christa Roth, Cleaner Cooking Coalition
• Christopher Galarza, Forward Dining Solutions
• Gabriel Eckhouse, Uppsala University
• Galina Angarova, SIRGE
• Nnimmo Bassey, Home of Mother Earth Foundation
• Errol Schweizer, IPES-Food
• Georgina Catacora-Vargas, IPES Food

Produced by Matthew Kessler, Anna Paskal and Nicole Pita. Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

When we talk about the future of food, we usually picture what's growing in the fields or what's on our dinner plates. But maybe we should pay a little more attention to everything happening in between. Processing and packaging consumes the largest share of fossil fuels in our food system— more than 40%. Our growing reliance on ultra-processed foods, and plastics across the supply chain is making food production more energy-intensive than ever before.

Visit the episode webpage for more resources.

This series is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

Guests

• Emma Priestland, Break Free From Plastic
• Errol Schweizer, IPES-Food
• Rachel Muncrief, International Council on Clean Transportation
• Georgina Catacora-Vargas, IPES Food

Produced by Matthew Kessler, Anna Paskal and Nicole Pita. Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

What are the hidden costs of our current food system and its deep reliance on fossil fuels, a system that burdens citizens with financial, health and environmental consequences? With Raj Patel, research professor at the University Texas at Austin and IPES-Food panel member, we cover this and Christopher Columbus's wicked legacy, middle-class environmentalism, and what a food system free of fossil fuels could look like.  

We thought this extended interview with Raj Patel was so compelling we wanted to share it in its entirety.

For more info and resources, please visit our episode webpage.

Guests

• Raj Patel, IPES-Food

Produced by Matthew Kessler, Anna Paskal and Nicole Pita. Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Fuel to Fork is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

Fossil fuels are woven into nearly every aspect of modern agriculture - from powering farm machinery to creating plastics and supporting data-driven tech like precision agriculture. But what would it take to reduce or even eliminate their use on farms? We dive into both replacement technologies and transformative food production methods like agroecology, exploring the obstacles and limitations of scaling different solutions.

Visit the episode webpage for more resources.

This series is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

Guests

• Darrin Qualman, National Farmers Union Canada
• Pat Mooney, IPES Food
• Jennifer Clapp, IPES Food
• Swati Renduchintala, CIFOR-ICRAF

Produced by Matthew Kessler, Anna Paskal and Nicole Pita. Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Since 2020, over 120 million tonnes of nitrogen fertilizer have been produced annually—a number set to rise by 50% by 2050. It’s easy to assume this is non-negotiable, that without it, we’d face a food crisis. But do we really need all this fossil-based input? As it turns out, there are many ways we can reverse this trend - from curbing overuse and adopting alternative technologies to rethinking our diets and transforming farming practices. We explore a range of options to ease our dependency on fossil fueled agrochemicals.

Register for our webinar: Fossil Fuels and Food Systems: A Policy Discussion for COP29

Visit the episode webpage for more resources.

This series is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

Guests

• Lisa Tostado, CIEL
• Joanna Larson, Prairie Gates Farm
• Christine Delivanis, SytemIQ
• Georgina Catacora-Vargas, IPES Food
• Mamadou Goïta, IPES 
• Swati Renduchintala, CIFOR-ICRAF
• Jennifer Clapp, IPES Food

Produced by Matthew Kessler, Anna Paskal and Nicole Pita. Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

We invite you to a three course meal in 2050, where climate breakdown has reshaped what and how we eat. Each of the courses is designed to provoke questions about the future of food through taste, visuals, and a bit of discomfort. It’s a story about eating possible futures — and noticing which ones feel delicious, or unsettling. In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of how the meal came together. Bon appétit.

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
episode91

Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org

Guests

• Annie Faye Cheng, Cook, butcher and writer
• Bryant Simon, History prof Temple University
• Lily Consuelo Saporta Tagiuri, Ecosystemic Designer and Eco-futurist

Episode hosted by Jack Thompson. Produced by Jack Thompson and Matthew Kessler. Edited and mixed by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

How did fossil fuels become so embedded in our food systems? We trace this journey from the industrial extraction of guano, through the game-changing Haber-Bosch process, to today’s globalized food system. Along the way, we uncover the hidden impacts on biodiversity, farmworkers, and our oceans—revealing the true cost of this reliance on fossil fuels.       

In Fuel to Fork, a new podcast series powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, we expose and explore the fossil fuels in our food, speaking to farmers, chefs, food industry experts, scientists and campaigners. Each episode delves deep into a different step of the food supply chain.         

Guests

• Jennifer Clapp, IPES-Food
• Darrin Qualman, National Farmers Union Canada
• Pat Mooney, IPES-Food and Etc Group
• Navina Khanna, HEAL Alliance
• Rashid Sumaila, University of British Columbia

Produced by Matthew Kessler, Anna Paskal and Nicole Pita. Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

“For many of us, how fossil fuels are integrated across the food chain is highly invisible.”   
When we bite into a juicy apple, barrels of crude oil and natural gas cylinders might not spring to mind. But fossil fuels are the hidden ingredient behind all of our food. For every calorie that ends up on our plates, around 10 calories of fossil fuels are used. From the diesel powering the tractors to the fertilizer in the field and plastic packaging, fossil fuels are the lifeblood of the food industry.     

In Fuel to Fork, a new podcast series powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, we expose and explore the fossil fuels in our food, speaking to farmers, chefs, food industry experts, scientists and campaigners. Each episode delves deep into a different step of the food supply chain.         

Guests

• Anna Lappé, Global Alliance for the Future of Food
• Raj Patel, IPES-Food
• Errol Schweizer, IPES-Food
• Nnimmo Bassey, Health of Mother Earth Foundation
• Christine Delivanis, SystemIQ

Produced by Matthew Kessler, Anna Paskal and Nicole Pita. Edited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.

When we bite into a juicy apple, barrels of crude oil and natural gas cylinders might not spring to mind. But fossil fuels are the hidden ingredient behind all of our food. For every calorie that ends up on our plates, around 10 calories of fossil fuels are used. From the diesel powering the tractors to the fertilizer in the field and plastic packaging, fossil fuels are the lifeblood of the food industry.

What are the options to phase out fossil fuels in food and what are the powerful forces standing in the way? To find out, subscribe to Fuel to Fork.

This series is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

Learn more at https://fueltofork.com/

Are food systems allies or enemies in the fight to save biodiversity? With our planet facing a biodiversity crisis, the answer depends on who you ask and what forms of life we prioritize. We speak with farmers, biophysical modelers, and biologists to explore whether producing food and conserving biodiversity can be achieved at the same time. We also discuss how our diets impact biodiversity, whether farming without soil can be better for biodiversity at large, and what it would take to effectively "shrink" the food system.

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
episode71

Guests

• Anna Lappé, Global Alliance for the Future of Food
• Els Hegger, Aardigh
• Silvia Quarta, La Junquera Farm
• Bernd Blossey, Assoc Prof at Cornell University
• Adrian Müller, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) 

Episode edited by Ylva Carlqvist Warnborg and Matthew Kessler. Produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

How do philosophers, animal welfare scientists, and farmers differ in their understanding of what a good future for farmed animals looks like? TABLE researcher Tamsin Blaxter discusses the complex relationships between humans and non-human animals and how these connections shape our food choices. We talk about who gets to speak with authority on these topics, the connections between scientific research and animal welfare regulations, and our own experiences with eating and not eating meat. 

Read TABLE explainer: Animal welfare and ethics in food and agriculture (2024)

Register/watch TABLE event Rethinking animals in agriculture: welfare, rights and the future of food (10 September 2024)

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode70


Guests

• Tamsin Blaxter, Writer and researcher at TABLE, University of Oxford

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Environmental economist Adan L. Martinez-Cruz (Senior Lecturer at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), argues that markets are a fundamental aspect of human society. He suggests that assigning a monetary value to natural resources can provide environmental benefits and create economic incentives to achieve them. In this episode, we discuss concept of non-market valuation, consider whether nature has inherent value, and examine whether markets are the best way to ensure fairness in the cost of food for both consumers and producers.

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode69

Guests

• Adan L. Martinez-Cruz, Environmental Economist at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler and Ylva Carlqvist Warnborg. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Philosopher and environmental researcher Ville Lähde (with the Finnish BIOS Research Unit) argues that we need to understand biodiversity differently at a fundamental level in order to preserve it. Biodiversity loss is much more than the list of extinct and endangered species. In our conversation, we talk about the myriad food systems and their different relationships with biodiversity, what are the hidden costs of simplifying biodiversity, and why Ville feels closest to biodiversity when working with his compost pile.

Read the Life Matters Everywhere essay

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode68

Guests

• Ville Lähde, Philosopher and environmental researcher at BIOS

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler and Ylva Carlqvist Warnborg. Music by Blue dot sessions.

The idea that more natural food – food which hasn’t been transformed by human and industrial intervention – is best for us is a powerful one. Psychologists have found a strong preference for that which is “natural”, even when people differ in what they understand that term to mean. But naturalness is a muddle – we are often signalled by advertising to see heavily manufactured foods as “natural”; the pioneers of cereal manufacturing were the greatest advocates of “natural” food in the early 20th century; and it’s rare that crops, which have been manipulated by human breeding over millennia, are seen as “unnatural”.
 
If naturalness is a slippery idea, though, it is still undeniably compelling. At the moment, nowhere is the preference for naturalness when it comes to the food we eat more prevalent than in concerns expressed over ultra-processed foods (UPFs). But does the idea that naturalness is inherently best set up a misleading dichotomy between nature and technology that doesn’t serve the interests of a more sustainable and equitable food future? Does a narrow focus on processing itself misplace bigger questions of power and agency on the one hand, and unhelpfully dismiss scientific techniques on the other?

TABLE writer and researcher Hester van Hensbergen explores these questions in our latest explainer, Nature Knows Best? Naturalness in the Ultra-Processed Foods Debate. She reads it out loud for you on the podcast.

You can find the written explainer here.

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.

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 3 of a 3-part series, featuring six of the seven women scientists from the Global South awarded the 2023 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards. This year's focus was on Food security. This episode was 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/episode65

Help nurture food debates and take TABLE's 2024 survey

Watch the video featuring the Award Winning scientists

Guests

• Carla Fabiana Crespo Melgar, Researcher at Universidad Mayor de San Andrés
• Eugenie Kayitesi, Prof at University of Pretoria
• Yeyinou Laura Estelle Loko, Researcher at the National University for Science, Technology and Mathematic in the Republic of Benin
  Munkhjargal Tserendorj, Researcher at Mongolian University of Life Sciences
• Renuka Attanayake, Prof at University of Kelaniya
• Haneen Dwaib, Chairwoman of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Palestine Ahliya University

Conference Organizers

• Elsevier
• KU Leuven
• Wageningen University and Research
• TABLE

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Hunger on our Doorstep is a two part podcast about food poverty in the UK. It explores the issues and potential solutions through the eyes of three food campaigners with firsthand experience of food poverty in urban communities, as well as others working to tackle the problem. The often bleak picture of poverty, inequality and exclusion painted in episode one contrasts with inspiring stories of the solutions being put into practice across the country in episode two. 

This podcast is produced by TABLE with the support and contribution of the Food Foundation, a charity focused on changing food policy and business practice to ensure everyone, across the UK nations, can afford and access a healthy and sustainable diet. 

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
episode90

Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org

Guests

• Ryan McShane, Food campaigner
• Glory Omoaka, Food activist
• Dominic Watters, Estate2Plate founder
• Jonathan Pauling, former CEO of Alexandra Rose Charity
• Dr Effie Papargyropoulou, Researcher at Leeds University
• Ana María Narváez, Coordinator of 2025 The Broken Plate report

Host

• Richard Kipling, TABLE
• Ruth Mattock, TABLE

Episode edited and produced by Richard Kipling, Ruth Mattock and Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

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 2 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/episode64

Subscribe to TABLE's newsletter Fodder

Guests

• David Laborde, Director of the Agri-food Economics and Policy Division at FAO
• Charlotte Janssens, Researcher at KU Leuven
• Koen Deconinck, Economist in Trade and Agricultural Directorate at OECD
• Steven Lord, Researcher at U Oxford
• Purnima Menon, Sr Director for Food and Nutritional Policy at IFPRI
• Ewout Frankema, Prof at Wageningen U

Conference Organizers

• Elsevier
• KU Leuven
• Wageningen University and Research
• TABLE

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

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/episode63

Subscribe to TABLE's newsletter Fodder

Guests

• Martin van Ittersum, Conference co-chair, Professor at Wageningen University
• Tessa Avermaete, Conference co-chair, Project Manager at KU Leuven
• Ramya Ambikapathi, Scientific committee member, Senior Researcher at Cornell U
• Gerard Govers, Programme committee mebmer, Vice-rector of Science, Engineering and Technology and Vice-rector of Sustainability at KU Leuven
• Joanna Trewern, Conference Keynote, Director of Partnerships and Institutional Engagement at Pro Veg International
• Maitre d’hotel at Coeur Catering, responsible for food served at the conference

Conference Organizers

• Elsevier
• KU Leuven
• Wageningen University and Research
• TABLE

Episode 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/episode62

Guests

• Cor 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/episode61

Guests

• Lauren Crossland-Marr, Assistant Professor at the University of La Verne

Resources

• First Fruit by Belinda Martineau
• Channa Prakash on GMs, Golden Rice and the Green Revolution

Episode 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/episode60

Guests

• Richard Tellström, Associate Professor at Stockholm University

Episode 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/episode59

Guests

• Amy Styring, Associate Professor at the University of Oxford

Episode 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/episode58

Guests

• Bernd Blossey, Professor at Cornell University

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Are invasive species natural? If we introduced them, do we have some responsibility to manage them? What if we could reduce their numbers through the natural process of eating?

In this episode, Jackie Turner (TABLE) joins crayfish trapper Bob Ring to see if we can eat our way out of one of the environmental problems we’ve created - the spread of invasive American Signal Crayfish into the river Thames. We ask if these invasive crayfish are ‘natural’, how they ended up in London’s iconic river in the first place, whether they offer a promising sustainable food source, and why it is so difficult to earn a living doing what Bob Ring sees as an environmentally and ethically beneficial act.

This is the second of a three part series exploring if we can eat our way out of the problems we’ve caused. The last episode featured grasshoppers in Mexico and the next will be on white-tailed deer in forests of the eastern United States.

For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode57

Guests

• Bob Ring, Crayfish Trapper in London

Episode edited and produced by Jackie Turner. Music by William King and Blue dot sessions.

What if we shifted our perspective from seeing some animal species as a problem to seeing them as an abundant and tasty source of food? Over the next few episodes, we’ll hear three "problems" in three regions: grasshoppers as pests in Mexico, invasive crayfish in London and overpopulated white-tailed deer in the United States.

With a rising trend for traditional foods, demand for grasshoppers has exploded in Mexico in the last decade--but is it sustainable? We ask sociologist-biologist Elena Lazos Chavero about the environmental, political, cultural, and health consequences of Mexico's appetite for grasshoppers.

For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode56

Guests

• Elena Lazos Chavero, professor-researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico.

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

“Is a microbe less natural than a cow?”

This season we ask scientists, farmers, technologists and philosophers about how natural our food systems should be. In this age where industrial technology has profoundly transformed our eating habits and the landscapes around us, we explore whether we should let nature be our ultimate guide or fully lean into the technological innovations reshaping our world.

From the traditional milpa systems of Mexico to the cutting edge laboratories of food scientists, we bring together voices across the spectrum: an economist, an indigenous leader, a food technologist and an agroecologist. Each presents their perspective on the benefits—or drawbacks—of 'natural' food systems for both human health and the planet's well-being.

For more info and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode55

Guests

• Anna Lappé, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food 
• Jayson Lusk, Dean and Vice President of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University
• Tania Eulalia Martinez Cruz, Director of the Food Sovereignty and Agroecology program at Land is Life
• Johan Jorgensen, Founder Partner at Sweden Food Tech

Episode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

What if changing what we eat wasn’t about persuasion, but about reshaping everyday food choices? With Sarah Lake, CEO of Tilt Collective, we explore how meat and ultra-processed foods came to dominate U.S. diets – and how Tilt Collective is building a future where healthy and sustainable foods compete on convenience, price, and accessibility.

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
episode89

Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org

Guest

• Sarah Lake, CEO of Tilt Collective

Episode hosted, edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Sofia Wilhelmsson researches a very specific and stressful time for farmed pigs: the loading and transport of pigs on their way to slaughter.  She not only considers the welfare of the animals, but also the well-being of the pig transport drivers. In our conversation we chat about the relationships that humans have with animals; what food systems actors have the most power in the pig production system; and whether we can add incentives for animal welfare and human well-being in our food systems.

For more info, please visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode54

Interested in more podcasts about the future of meat and human-animal relations, Meat the four futures (Table, 2023)
Barbecue Earth (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2024)

Imagine a world where nature reclaims its place in the landscape.  What would that mean for food systems? Walter Fraanje joins Feed co-hosts to talk about his new publication, "Rewilding and its implications for agriculture" co-authored with Tara Garnett. 

The explainer introduces the concept of rewilding, compares different rewilding strategies across the globe, explores their relationship with agriculture and unpacks some of the related controversies. We ask Walter how does rewilding differ from conservation, why might a farmer or fisher support or be against rewilding, and what does it mean to rewild your imagination?

Read the full explainer

For more info, please visit: 

People across the world are consuming more ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Will Latin American countries and elsewhere follow the path of the US and the UK, where over half of calories consumed now come from UPFs?  Dr Neena Prasad, director of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Food Policy Program, joins us to talk about the power of and the power behind UPFs. We talk about the utility and harms of processing foods, the links between the tobacco industry and UPFs, and the public health measures advocated by the Food Policy Program. These include taxing UPFs, putting restrictions on marketing  (especially to children), advancing public sector health promoting policies, and front-of-package nutrition labeling.

For more info and transcript, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode52

More info on Bloomberg Philanthropies' Food Policy Program

Read TABLE explainer on UPFs

Music by Blue dot sessions

Food systems are finally getting more attention at global climate conversations. But who is at the table shaping our food futures?  We caught up with Jessica Duncan, Associate Professor on the Politics of Food Systems Transformations at Wageningen University, to hear her thoughts and concerns about COP 28.

Then we re-air our conversation with Jessica Duncan from May 2021, where we talk about dialogue and participation in food policy, why we shouldn’t always be seeking consensus, and the importance of bringing local actors into global policy conversations. We unpack Jessica and Priscilla Claeys' 2020 report Covid19, Gender and Food systems and discuss what is gained by "viewing the crisis from below".

For more info and transcript, visit here. 

Is CRISPR the solution to controlling the pest plaguing California’s wine industry? In this episode of A CRISPR Bite, we take you to a lab where researchers are using CRISPR technology to genetically modify a frightening insect called the Glassy-winged sharpshooter responsible for spreading a bacteria and killing vines.

CRISPR bites is five-part podcast series hosted by food anthropologist Dr Lauren Crossland-Marr. We're excited to share one episode from the series with you today.

Listen to A CRISPR Bite, check out show notes, transcripts and more information on the podcast's website here. 

For more info and episode transcript, visit here.

There are over 2,000 types of insects that people eat across the world. Some of these species could have the potential to be cultivated at scale using less land, less water, and fewer greenhouse gas emissions while supplying a nutritious protein source to many. But what does scaling insect production look like, and will people actually eat them?

In this bonus episode, we dive deep into the world of insects as a potential food source. We visit a Swedish mealworm factory to understand the production process, and speak to researchers in Ethiopia and the Netherlands about the environmental benefits, ethical considerations, and likelihood of Europeans eating insects in the future.

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For more info and transcript, please visit: https://tabledebates.org/meat/episode9

Meat: the four Futures project webpage: https://tabledebates.org/meat

Take the values-based quiz: https://tabledebates.org/meat/quiz

Subscribe to: TABLE’s newsletter Fodder

Music by Blue dot Sessions.

The yield gap refers to the difference between the potential agricultural yield that could be achieved under ideal conditions and the actual yield that farmers harvest. In sub-Saharan Africa, the yield gap is in some cases 80% meaning that farmers have the potential to double, triple or even quadruple their harvests.

The causes of the yield gap are debated and so are the solutions to narrow it. In this conversation with Martin van Ittersum, a professor at Wageningen University, and Klara Fischer, an associate professor and senior lecturer at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, we discuss if increasing yield is the right entry point for reducing hunger in the region; if bottom-up or top-down interventions lead to a more resilient food system; and at what time-scale (short- or long-term) should we be focusing food systems solutions?

More info, resources and transcript found at: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode48

Presenting the Meat: the four futures series final episode.

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Over the last few months, we explored what the future of meat and livestock could look like. We’ve talked about how our values, ethics and where we live in the world can impact our desired futures for meat. And we did a deep dive into four potential futures - efficient meat, alternative “meat”, less meat and no meat.

To wrap up the series, we hear comments and thoughts from the listeners, and podcast host Matthew Kessler shares some personal reflections on what he learned about the future of meat and livestock after making this series.

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Visit the episode page with more resources: https://tabledebates.org/meat/episode8

Project webpage: https://tabledebates.org/meat

Take the values-based quiz: https://tabledebates.org/meat/quiz

Music by Blue dot Sessions and Epidemic sound.

We continue featuring the Meat: the four futures series with episode 7.

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We've heard four distinct visions for the future of meat and livestock. But realistically, won't they all play a role? As we wrap up the series in the next two episodes, we’re going to review what’s in conflict between the four futures and how parts of them might co-exist.

In this episode we ask three experts to consider different arguments presented by the four futures as they relate to health, biodiversity and animal ethics. We ask a professor of diet and population health if it’s better to eat some, a lot, or no meat; we ask a biodiversity expert about how the different futures would help biodiversity to recover; and we ask an animal ethicist about the morality of eating animals and to interrogate the ethical cases put forward by the four futures.

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Visit the episode page with more resources: https://tabledebates.org/meat/episode7

Project webpage: https://tabledebates.org/meat

Take the values-based quiz: https://tabledebates.org/meat/quiz

Music by Blue dot Sessions and Epidemic sound.

We continue featuring the Meat: the four futures series with our fourth and final exploration of four different futures for meat - Plant based no meat.

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Should we remove animals from agriculture and our diets altogether? What if all the land that produces animal feed now could instead produce human food--or be rewilded? Would this be a planet friendly future--or impoverished and unnatural?

In this fourth and final scenario: the plant-based no meat future, we explore the motivations, the evidence and the arguments for adopting a diet that centers and celebrates plants. We visit a vegan restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden; a vegan food tech company in Lagos, Nigeria; and an animal free farm outside of Reading in the United Kingdom.

But is dietary change at a societal scale unrealistic? Is this the most sustainable, ethical and efficient approach to eating and producing food? We explore all this and more.

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Visit the episode page with more resources: https://tabledebates.org/meat/episode6

Project webpage: https://tabledebates.org/meat

Take the values-based quiz: https://tabledebates.org/meat/quiz

Music by Blue dot Sessions and Epidemic sound.

What do Yorkshire beaches, Sierra Leone’s new food strategy, and New York City school lunches have in common? For Corinna Hawkes, they all shaped her journey toward understanding how systems shape food. In this episode, we trace her path from a childhood fascination with shifting sands to her current role at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Along the way, we ask: what does it actually mean to ‘take a systems approach’ to food? What type of leadership skills are needed to fix food systems today? And why do the best solutions sometimes require slowing down, not speeding up?

For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
episode88

Read the report: Transforming food and agriculture through a systems approach (FAO, 2025)

Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org

Guest

• Corinna Hawkes, Director of Agrifood Systems and Food Safety at FAO

Episode hosted, edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

We continue featuring the Meat: the four futures series with our third exploration of four different futures for meat - Less meat.

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What if we had a more compassionate approach to farming animals, where we raised and ate fewer animals - and so meat cost more? 

We speak with farmers, researchers and campaigners who don’t see farmed animals only as producers of meat and milk, but instead highlight their ability to manage landscapes and to recycle waste and nutrients. They cannot imagine sustainable cropping systems without livestock.

Is this less meat future a win-win-win for animals, people and the planet, or is it an unrealistic and elitist vision?

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Visit the episode page with more resources: https://tabledebates.org/meat/episode5

Project webpage: https://tabledebates.org/meat

Take the values-based quiz: https://tabledebates.org/meat/quiz

Music by Blue dot Sessions and Epidemic sound.

We continue featuring the Meat: the four futures series with our second exploration of four different futures for meat - Alternative "meat".

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What do some entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, animal activists, and environmentalists have in common? They each envision a future where meat alternatives can tackle the environmental impacts and animal suffering caused by global livestock production.

But in this futuristic vision of replacing livestock with plant-based substitutes and cultivating meat in labs from animal cells - are we living in a utopia or a dystopia?

We speak with scientists, investors, and CEOs from across the world to better understand the motivations, scientific basis, and evidence that either support or raise concerns about the future of alternative "meat".

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Visit the episode page with more resources: https://tabledebates.org/meat/episode4

Project webpage: https://tabledebates.org/meat

Take the values-based quiz: https://tabledebates.org/meat/quiz

Music by Blue dot Sessions and Epidemic sound.

We continue featuring the Meat: the four futures series with our first exploration of four different futures for meat - Efficient meat 2.0.

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Today we farm and eat meat at a scale not matched in human history. We raise 80 billion animals a year for food at a really low cost to the consumer.  Here we look at how technology, research, and innovation have made animal agriculture much more efficient. 

Do you see efficiency improvements in animal agriculture as essential for feeding a growing population?  Or do you think we should eat less meat, switch to plant-forward diets or create competitive meat alternatives?

We speak with agriculture economists, pig farmers, poultry geneticists, and others who make the best case for an efficient meat future.

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Visit the episode page with more resources: https://tabledebates.org/meat/episode3

Project webpage: https://tabledebates.org/meat

Take the values-based quiz: https://tabledebates.org/meat/quiz

Music by Blue dot Sessions and Epidemic sound.

Today we are presenting the second episode in the Meat: the four futures series.

What are your first thoughts when you see a piece of steak on a plate or a big pot of chicken soup - healthy meal? piece of animal flesh? comfort food? 

In this episode we explore how our values, ethics and where we live impacts our relationship with meat and livestock.

We dig into the history of the diet  humans evolved to eat, visit Burkina Faso and India to hear two different solutions to meet the surging demand for meat across the global South, and talk about the ethics of eating animals in the West, where we’re often distant and detached from where meat comes from.

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Visit the episode page with more resources: https://tabledebates.org/meat/episode2

Project webpage: https://tabledebates.org/meat

Take the values-based quiz: https://tabledebates.org/meat/quiz

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://tabledebates.org/meat/newsletter

Add your voice to the podcast: https://tabledebates.org/meat/contribute

Music by Blue dot Sessions and Epidemic sound.