Nourishing Matters to Chew On is a podcast that takes its cue from big picture, healthy and sustainable food system agendas and digs in to explore what these change agendas mean for us here, in Australia. It looks at how we produce and enjoy food in a Climate Change future, as well as how we value the people, places and animals that nourish us.
Join host Anthea Fawcett - sustainability advocate, founder of Foodswell and farmer’s daughter - as she journeys across our food and agricultural landscape to speak with inspiring people in the field who are enabling change toward more sustainable and resilient food system.
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Hello! so happy to be back with a very special episode...podcast of the Food Systems Transformations panel discussion at the Transformative Partnerships for a Better World Conference, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, 11-14 July 2023.
A great transformations community event held and shared across Sydney, Prague, Portland
Apologies! A 'long' drought between eps. But WHAT a fabulous opportunity to dig and dive back into nourishing topics and themes with Associate Professor Dana Cordell, Dr Federico Davila, Research Principal Fiona Berry and Anja Bless.
Dr Federico Davila is a human geographer and Research Director at UTS-ISF specialising in the governance and transformation of food systems. He has conducted much of his work in the Pacific region, analysing the impacts of COVID-19 on food systems, labour markets and mobility
Associate Professor Dana Cordell is a Research Director at the UTS-ISF where she leads the Food Systems research group. She leads and undertakes collaborative research projects on sustainable food and phosphorus futures in Australia, Vietnam, Malawi, Europe, Sri Lanka, and the USA
Anja Bless is a PhD candidate with the UTS-ISF where she is researching the politics of regenerative agriculture. Her focus areas are environmental politics, food politics and policy, and sustainable food systems
Fiona Berry is a Research Principal at UTS-ISF conducting research into Food Systems and project managing research across a variety of disciplines. Fiona is passionate about building communities through peri-urban and regional agriculture, local food systems and democratic community participation.
With Gerry Turpin, Senior Ethnobotanist, Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre
Season 3 · Episode 20
Thursday, December 1, 2022 • Duration 51:17
Listen in, be inspired by Gerry Turpin, a Mbabaram Traditional Owner who is 'as far as he knows' the first fully trained Indigenous Ethnobotanist in Australia who has helped seed and lead groundbreaking, research that bridges two worlds and empowers Elders and communities to research, record, protect and derive value from their plant and cultural knowledge and to share it in ways they want.
This is the final deep dive, long lens conversation for Nourishing Matters 2022. It's one that book ends the series since its inception in late 2019 when I was blown away by Gerry's keynote presentation at PULiiMA 2019 and the power of his work for culture, community, environmental and food sovereignty.
Learning how to love, see and better care for country and our unique plants and biodiversity by drawing upon First People's knowledge in dialogue with Western science is something many of us yearn for in our changing climate, quest for Reconciliation and urgent desire to protect all 'plants, animals and ecosystems' that are precious. Gerry and his team are leaders in this critical space: they build and record Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge (IBK) with Elders and their communities and enact protocols, research methods and pathways that enable and ensure that plant research is guided by Traditional Knowledge holders with their full, informed and prior consent.
Gerry is the Senior Ethnobotanist at the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre (TIEC) at James Cook University in Cairns. Characteristically modest, he is however rightly recognised nationally and internationally for what he does, inculcates, and is enabling for a more sustainable, regenerative future.
TIEC is a partnership between Traditional Owners, the Queensland Government (including the Queensland Herbarium), CSIRO, James Cook University's Cairns Institute and the Australian Tropical Herbarium joint venture.
Listen in and hear from Gerry about how his work has evolved and what his big dreams for the future are that include:
to hold an International Indigenous Ethnobotanical Conference in Cairns - huge benefits for Northern Queensland and communities
With Laura Dalrymple, Feather and Bone Butchery, on ethical omnivory, community, books & more
Season 3 · Episode 11
Friday, July 29, 2022 • Duration 47:16
A warm, wideranging conversation with the wonderful Laura Dalrymple who, with partner Grant Hilliard, established the Feather and Bone Butchery in 2006 and co-authored The Ethical Omnivore published in 2020.
Laura and Grant recently opened their new store in Charing Cross, Sydney, a great reason to catch up with Laura to learn more about their inspirational journey, the change making work they do and the communities they are part of, support and foster through producer talks, community events, close supplier relationships and fun, whole butchery courses they run for every day people and eaters.
When asked to share thoughts on The Ethical Omnivore and how it's been received, Laura paints the picture of how interest in regenerative production, knowing your food's provenance and in the artistry of 'whole of animal' fine butchery and eating nose-to-tail has grown enormously in recent years and about how COVID (strangely) has further demonstrated the viability of business built around shorter, known supply chains and close producer relationships.
And as Laura shares, there's a host of authors and new books on the topic she's been digging into that include Jayne Buxton's The Great Plant-Based Con - Why eating a plants-only diet won't improve your health or save the planet and Carolyn Steel's Sitopia - How Food Can Save the World . What else has Laura enjoyed reading lately? not so tangentially, Switched and Kate Holden's powerfulThe Winter Road.
Laura and Grant are 'elders, leaders and modern day pioneers' in ethical omnivory and butchery. They are rightly much loved by producers, restaurateurs and everyday consumers alike. Since 2006 they have walked the talk through their business and with the communities they connect with to value and care for the whole animal and for the people and the places who produce them sustainably, with love and care for the environment and our collective futures.
Dr Phillip Baker on the rise of ultra-processed foods, research & whereto
Season 3 · Episode 10
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • Duration 01:10:24
With Dr Phil Baker, a great discussion about and update on the surge of research into ultra-processed foods (UPF's), the growing evidence and case for urgent action to address these globalised foods (and systems) that are so damaging to human health and planetary wellbeing.
Phil and I spoke in 2020 for one of Nourishing Matters scene setting episodes. Since then, COP26 in late '21 has shone the light on the need to urgently redress agricultural land clearing that UPF's help drive, an event subsequent to the UN Food Systems Summit '21, that 'could and should' have also provided opportunity for more direct, discussion and action on UPF's. But were not, so why not? Listen in, the case for change and action is growing...
And as a consumer, listen through to hear four great tips from Phil to help you better recognise and avoid UPF's: Yup! if products are highly processed, packaged and claim to be healthy, have multiple ingredients you and your grandmother would never recognise and are covered in marketing, watch out!
Dr. Phillip Baker, is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University. He leads national and international research teams and supervises PhD students, to investigate healthy and sustainable food system issues. UPF's are a hot, growing research topic that Phil and many of the PhD students he supervises focus upon.
Recently, Phillip and colleagues edited a special journal issue on the political economy of healthy and sustainable food systems, including many papers relating to ultra-processed foods and the power of the food industry. Phillip also led several recent papers investigating the rise of ultra-processed foods in infant and young child diets, and the strategies used by the baby food industry to undermine breastfeeding, grow their markets and protect against regulation. Forthcoming research investigates the environmental impacts of ultra-processed foods, and how we can use policy, law and regulation to minimise the harms these foods are causing to human and planetary health.
A complete treat to catch up and speak with Naomi and Gavin from Community Gardens Australia. Both Churchill Fellows, Naomi and Gavin, are about to head off on their incredible, change-inspiring and enabling study tours.
Naomi's research aims to help strengthen and grow the organisation and the movement by learning about and sharing new social and other food 'enterprise' forms that can help achieve that. Gavin's study tour will see him dig in to research and learn more about urban (and other) models for food forests and orchards. Two amazing projects - fit for people, food security and community in times like these (COVID, high food prices, climate change & more!).
Naomi Lacey is President of Community Gardens Australia and a permaculturalist who is passionate about promoting healthy food systems, sustainable lifestyles, and cultivating community. She helped to establish the first community garden in the satellite city of Palmerston near Darwin and from there became involved with Community Gardens Australia (CGA) in 2015 then taking on the role of President in 2019.
Awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2019 to learn from community garden networks around the world, Naomi’s vision for CGA is to build the organisation into one that supports the growth and needs of community gardens around Australia, providing them with education, support, resources, and sustenance to continue their work and therefore their positive impact on the communities they reside in.
Gavin Hardy is the Queensland Coordinator of the national community gardening network, Community Gardens Australia. He is a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship recipient with a focus on community based agroforestry models.
Gav is also a multi-award winning landscape architect and engineer with over 25 years experience planning, designing and building numerous sustainable landscapes and food systems in Australia.
He has a passion for gardening, permaculture, sustainability education and mentoring and strongly encourages you consider, apply for a Churchill Fellowship - that's how he got involved with Community Gardens Australia!
Honey Bees Research & the 4th Australian Bee Congress, with Dr Nural Cokcetin & Kathleen Schell
Season 3 · Episode 8
Friday, June 17, 2022 • Duration 31:38
A great conversation with Nural and Kathleen, all about the recent 4th Australian Bee Congress, why it was especially 'special' this year (200 years since the honey bee was introduced to Australia) and more. A Congress shortly followed by the 3rd Australian Native Bee Conference - our magical, stingless, precious native bees...also held in Sydney.
This episodes links up and with my great conversation with Nural and Professor Liz Harry that kicked off Season 2 of Nourishing Matters in September 2021, that was all about honey and healing, the science and magic of honey bees and honey and their ground-breaking research. Listen back and in to that Episode if you haven't already.
Listen in to this episode for an update on matters honey and bees, and hear from Nural and Kathleen about their amazing honey and health research, for human health and the for health and viability of the our apiary industry and the key role bees play as pollinators for Australian agriculture, horticulture and biodiversity. Australian bees and the honey they produce from our unique flora are 'so' very special - they provide honey with amazing bioactivity properties that add unique value to human health, healing and the gut...as well as offering delicious flavour: nourishing matters all, that promise new horizons for higher value, honey products - for health and cuisine. Time for Australian honey 'terroir'!
And yup, climate change and the impact of extreme weather events on the health of our bees, biodiversity and apiary industry were a key, big theme and focus at the 4th Australian Bee Congress and for the work that so many people are tackling on many fronts.
Thanks Nural and Kathleen for a great catch-up and update on honey and bee matters, and congratulations Kathleen - runner up in Bee Bites: a very clever student competition that's all about science communication and students sharing pithy research stories with industry to showcase new research opportunities and horizons - good for the industry, to attract new generations to the sector and for the environment.
Prof. Nick Hopwood, SUCCEED & changing lives for children who tube feed
Season 3 · Episode 7
Saturday, May 28, 2022 • Duration 01:00:12
In this episode, listen in with Professor Nick Hopwood for an uplifting life-enriching conversation that’s all about tube-feeding and the heart-filled, ground-breaking work that he, colleagues and families involved in SUCCEED do.
Imagine. Up to 30% of children experience feeding difficulties and as many as 1% of children are tube-fed at some point – but tube-feeding is an almost invisible yet vital issue in our health – and food - system. SUCCEED's interdisciplinary team and innovative approach is changing that:
undertaking research to better understand 'who' delivers primary health care and,
'what' best practice care looks like,
along with data to better inform and drive change,
and the incredible Childfeeding.org website and outreach events they've created to support parents and families whose children are tube-fed.
SUCCEED is the Supporting Children with Complex Feeding Difficulties (SUCCEED) Study Group. It's is a unique collaboration between researchers, families and clinicians who are passionate about helping children with feeding difficulties and their families, and ChildFeeding.org has been produced by the families, clinicians and researchers of the Supporting Children with Complex Feeding Difficulties (SuCCEED) Study.
Professor Nick Hopwood is a Professor of Professional Learning at UTS, and Co-Convenor of the Life-wide Learning and Education Research Group within the School of International Studies and Education. The SUCCEED initiative is supported by the Early Life Determinants of Health, Clinical Academic Group at Maridulu Budyaru and brings together families, academics and clinicians.
For many babies, infants and parents, tube-feeding is a vital part of everyday life, it’s life-saving, and it can be life enabling, creative and joyful especially if supported by creative care practices and networks. Visit to learn more about:
Ross Anderson, AQUNA Sustainable Murray Cod - inspiring, land-based aquaculture
Season 3 · Episode 6
Thursday, May 12, 2022 • Duration 54:51
In this episode a great conversation with Ross Anderson, all about the truly inspiring story of AQUNA Sustainable Murray Cod and the premium, murray cod they produce for consumers, restaurants, international markets and leading chef's like Josh Niland. It's an uplifting, can-do story about business leadership and innovation, smart, passionate people and their commitment to sustainability that all adds up to a world first, all grown in regional NSW.
I've long wanted to do a 'positive' story about aquaculture, especially given the impacts of large-scale industrial Tasmanian salmon production, the story Richard Flanagan tells in Toxic - The Rotting Underbelly of the Tasmanian Salmon Industry, pub 2021. Flanagan’s ‘Toxic’ is a heart and environmentally wrenching story, but it isn’t all bad news. In a webinar he presented about the issues, he shone light on where there's hope and great potential – to expand, sustainable land based, vertically integrated, closed loop land based aquaculture.
AQUNA is an award winning, land-based, producer of murray cod - one of the most ancient, delicious and highly revered fish, once prolific in the wild, listed as nationally threatened in 2003, and so special to First People's and Murray Darling basin ecosystems. During recent fish kills, the business supplied aerators to the Menindee Lakes and have released some 23 million murray cod fingerlings back into the Murray Darling river to help restore fish stocks and ecosystem health. Love it.
AQUNA is an industry leader internationally and in the local Griffith community and environment – employing people in clever jobs, growing vertically integrated, circular-resource use production. Listen in and check out their website to learn more about their commitment to sustainability and whole-of-system innovation in this space.
Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod is listed as “GREEN” on the The Good Fish Guide. The Good Fish Guide, an app and website, is a sustainability initiative by the Australian Marine Conservation Society. The guide is an independent reference that helps chefs and consumers make informed decisions on the seafood they eat and serve.
Matt Linnegar, CEO ARLF, on leadership and building community resilience
Season 3 · Episode 5
Friday, April 29, 2022 • Duration 48:17
Leadership - highly desirable and topical! Listen in to my great conversation with Matt Linnegar, that's all about leadership and two very special drought resilience programs that he and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation is delivering to support farmers and rural communities. Key, support, skills and networks for people, resilient communities and our food systems.
Matt is the Chief Executive of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) who's passionate about the programs ARLF runs, the people he works with and supporting rural and regional communities.
ARLF runs six programs and we chat about key leadership aptitudes common to all and then zoom in to talk about the Drought Resilience Leaders Development Program and the Drought Resilience Leaders Mentoring Program that are current initiatives funded by the Future Drought Fund that ARLF deliver.
Talking about building drought resilience while so many people have experienced the recent trauma of extreme floods and fire, back to back, might seem a bit odd. But the challenges of drought and how to help people to build the personal and community skills and networks for 'resilience' to cope with more extreme, frequent events, is a big part of what leadership development is all about - for drought, fire, floods and other disasters. Matt says leadership is a practice, not about individuals, and all about helping communities to plan for challenges and to bounce back better.
ARLF has over 1800 alumni, across Australia, some 18% of whom are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (check out the amazing Milparanga Leadership program on the ARLF site!) and already 12 regions and some 500 people across Australia have joined and benefitted from the Drought Resilience Leaders and the Drought Resilience Leaders Mentoring programs.
And as we spoke good news - the programs are to be funded to continue and roll out the programs across more regions and for more mentors and mentees across Australia, so look out for news - or visit the ARLF site - learn more and get involved.
Thanks Matt!
Erica Hughes on growing Farmer Meets Foodie in FNQ
Season 3 · Episode 3
Thursday, April 14, 2022 • Duration 55:10
If you missed this popular Ep from season one, April '21, Listen Back to Erica's great story about why and how she went about creating Farmer Meets Foodie in far north Queensland.
Imagine if great food from your region had to travel over 3000 kilometres from where it’s picked to land back in your local grocery store, 10 kilometres from where it was grown and picked?! That’s a reality for a lot of top end producers and communities.
Listen and be inspired by Erica Hughes and the wonderful Farmer Meets Foodie virtual farmers marketplace and food connections that she and her family are growing at Mt Molloy on the Atherton Tableland, North Queensland, to change that story for the better.
Across the country there’s a rapidly growing appetite and demand for more local, regional and seasonal food. Food that’s produced ethically, sustainably, that’s fresh, good for people and for the environment and that adds value in interconnected ways across the value chain from ‘paddock to plate’. Whether it’s to reduce food miles, improve food choices and affordability, or to help local producers, communities and economies to regenerate and recover from times of drought and more, or for consumers to access food more safely, online during times like COVID.
Knowing your foods provenance – where it comes from - and then having the ability to choose and act on that knowledge is really powerful. Farmer Meets Foodie gives people the power to make and drive those choices - via a platform that producers go to directly connect and transact with commercial food businesses and other consumers in their region in practical, change-making ways . And there’s more….great services and Meet & Greet events. It’s inspiring!
Listen in to enjoy this lovely conversation with Erica (and Zoro the rooster and Umbra the dawg) to hear and learn more – to join their marketplace, get ideas and tips about how you and your community can get more local and regional food on the table, and support producers to be better recognised and rewarded for what they do. Love it.
to see the Nagoya Protocol ratified by the current Commonwealth Government, to enable stronger protection of Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge rights across all Australian States and Territories
to secure more funds to assist him and the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre to engage and employ more people to do the urgent work that needs to be done before more Elders and their plant and cultural knowledge passes ....
I first met Gerry in or around 2010 through my Remote Indigenous Gardens Network work. At that time TIEC was newly established. Since then Gerry and his work have gone from strength to strength.
I am humbled and feel honoured to have watched the growth and impact of what Gerry does. He is one of those quietly modest but amazing people who show and lead the way. Thank you Gerry, for what you do and for the quiet but steely spirit you share to guide how we might all change, add layers to the lens, and quietly support, act and do like you do to grow, protect and share good things ....
Since this interview was recorded, it has been announced thatJames Cook University will host a new Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures (CIEHF) – aiming to bring Indigenous and environmental histories to the forefront of land and sea management and Gerry and TIEC will be integral to that. https://www.jcu.edu.au/news/releases/2022/november/new-$89m-national-research-centre-at-jcu
Learn more about Feather and Bone Butchery, The Ethical Omnivore and sign up for their newsletters to hear about and sign up for upcoming courses and fun community/producer events and talks they host by heading to their website at Feather and Bone Butchery
One of the Phil's current PhD students, mentioned in our conversation, is Kim Anastasiou who, with Phil and other colleagues, recently published an excellent article in The Conversation - all about how UPF's are trashing human health and the planet. It provides a great snapshot of the issues: available @ Ultra processed foods are junking our health and the planet
Elizabeth, L., Machado, P., Zinöcker, M., Baker, P., & Lawrence, M. (2020). Ultra-processed foods and health outcomes: a narrative review. Nutrients, 12(7), 1955 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32630022/
Rise of Commercial Milk Formulas, the first ultra-processed foods;
Baker, P., Melo, T., Augusto Neves, P., Machado, P., Smith, J., Piwoz, E., ... & McCoy, D. (2020). First‐food systems transformations and the ultra‐processing of infant and young child diets: The determinants, dynamics and consequences of the global rise in commercial milk formula consumption. Maternal & Child Nutrition, e13097.
And great news. Gavin and Naomi will share stories and more from their travels and the people and projects they visit across Europe and America via a blog they'll set up on the Community Gardens Australia website once they get underway in a few weeks.
To follow them and to check out CGA's excellent new website and resources visit www.communitygarden.org.au
Our vision is a world where children with feeding difficulties thrive.
Our mission is to help families celebrate and embrace mealtimes, however they choose to feed.
"As the only evidence-based online resource by parents, for families of kids with complex feeding difficulties in Australia, this is the table where everyone is welcome. The SUCCEED Study and ChildFeeding.org are working for change, so that every family knows the simple joy of sharing a meal, and every child thrives".
Hopwood, N. (2021). From response and adaptation to agency and contribution: Making the theory of practice architectures dangerous. Journal of Praxis in Higher Education, 3(1), 78-94. https://doi.org/10.47989/kpdc114
And the The Blend – a beautiful ‘big’ resource published by Cardinal Health in 2022 that shares incredible personal stories of parents and kids who tube feed, lost of recipes, technical, health and nutrition tips. SUCCEED's arts program features in it too.Visit: cardinalhealth.com.au/kangaroo
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food producing industries in the world – a key and growing source of protein. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, global aquaculture production rose 520% for the period 1990-2018 (FAO, 2020). Some 54% of seafood consumed worldwide is produced through aquaculture, but approximately 87% of seafood purchased in New South Wales is imported. So there are enormous domestic and export opportunities for sustainably produced, high quality fish and AQUNA are leading the way to do just that.
Bravo AQUNA and thank you Ross for such a great conversation (and for what you all do)!
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