Feed: a food systems podcast

The meat question

Why can reasonable people look at the same evidence on meat—and still eat very differently? Matthew Kessler shares a personal essay reflecting on his time working on livestock farms, conversations with experts across all sides of the issue, and on his own on-and-off relationship with eating animals.For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode95Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.orgEpisode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.Tangle Essay: What we disagree about when we talk about meatTABLE Podcast: Meat: the four futures TABLE Report: Meat, Metrics and Mindsets 

Agroecology and Sustainable Intensification: the values beneath the science

What does “sustainable agriculture” actually mean, and why do scientists disagree about it? This episode explores how two influential scientific discourses - Agroecology and Sustainable Intensification - start from different values, ask different questions, and often talk past each other. Drawing on an interdisciplinary study at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, ecologist Riccardo Bommarco and ethicist Helena Rocklinsberg examine how those different approaches shape research, priorities, and solutions. The conversation turns to what might change when scientists begin to listen to each other across divides.For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode94Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.orgEpisode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

The future of food retail, made simple

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/episode93Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.orgEpisode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Can we eat better without paying more?

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/episode92Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.orgEpisode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

A three course meal in 2050

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/episode91Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.orgGuestsAnnie Faye Cheng, Cook, butcher and writerBryant Simon, History prof Temple UniversityLily Consuelo Saporta Tagiuri, Ecosystemic Designer and Eco-futuristEpisode hosted by Jack Thompson. Produced by Jack Thompson and Matthew Kessler. Edited and mixed by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.