The Slow Food Goes Brussels Podcast
Tune in ! The “Slow Food Goes Brussels” podcast series is dedicated to European food and agriculture policies. In each episode, we gather experts to explain and discuss the agri-food hot topics in Brussels, to bring our listeners closer to the arena of EU negotiations.
For daily updates on EU agri-food policies, explore Slow Food Europe’s section and follow us on Twitter, and don’t hesitate to subscribe to the SFYN podcast, which hosts this series, on Apple and Spotify.
What can we expect from COP28? A conversation with Raj Patel and Edward Mukiibi
December 1
COP 28 has just begun. The attention of all those who care about the climate crisis and work to influence governments and institutions to adopt effective mitigation and adaptation measures have their eyes on Dubai. It is the first COP held since the full release of the latest update in March 2023 of the 6th Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC). This report summarises and synthesises the most up-to-date climate science and provides the best scientific basis to set climate policy. Today I am delighted to host two very special guests to discuss some updates from COP 28 with a special eye on how food systems are driving the climate crises and what solutions are on the table.
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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How can we recognize Greenwashing and Corporate Capture?
November 1
We are delighted to carry out today’s discussion with two experts on the topic of Greenwashing. Hazel Healy is DeSmog’s UK Editor. She is also a freelance writer and broadcaster specializing in stories about food justice, climate and migration. Hazel recently published together with Rachel Sherrington the article “A Guide to Six Greenwashing Terms Big Ag Is Bringing to COP28” on DeSmog, independent, investigative website.
The second guest of today is Kavya Chowdhry. Kavya is from India and works as a researcher with ETC, the Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration. ETC Group is a small, international, research and action collective committed to social and environmental justice, human rights and the defense of just and ecological agri-food systems and the web of life. Kavya is co-author of the report “Food Barons 2022. Crisis Profiteering, Digitalization and Shifting Power” together with Hope Shand and Kathy Jo Wetter.
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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GMOs and Pesticides, A Chemical Romance
September 2023
So many of the foods we eat everyday are sprayed again and again with pesticides before landing on our table. And we all learned over the years, one scandal after another, that this is no good news, either for our health or the environment. But what most people don’t know is the tight connection between pesticides and GMOs.
As the European Union is about to take some critical decisions on both pesticides and GMOs, we unveil the troubling truth about that very toxic couple, with our three guests:
- Mute Schimpf, policy officer at Friends of the Earth Europe
- Bosse Dalhgren, Slow Food farmer in Scotland
- Karina Ocampo, Slow Food activist in Argentina
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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The Urban Food Revolution
July 2023
Cities are at the forefront of one of the most pressing problems of our times — food. According to the United Nations (UN), 54% of the world’s population were living in urban areas in 2016 — and that figure is predicted to rise to 66% by 2050. For this episode, we take you on a journey to three pioneering cities: Bordeaux (France), Birmingham (England) and Groningen (The Netherlands). You will discover how they’re acting, in collaboration with local people and food stakeholders to limit food systems’ impact on climate and the environment, improve people’s wellbeing, shorten, and strengthen production chains, and guarantee access to good food for all.
Our guests are:
- Yael Pantzer, policy officer specialized in urban food policies at Slow Food
- Kate Smith, volunteer at Slow Food Birmingham
- Apolline Beyris-Duvigneau, food officer for the municipality of Bordeaux
- Hilde Lavell and Hiltje van der Wal, food officers for the municipality of Groningen
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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Breaking the Chain of Food Poverty
June 2023
- Nicole Pita, project manager at the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food)
- Alba Gil, policy officer at the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
- Samanta Vergati, environmental economist, member of the Slow Food community in Paris, and founder of the NGO “Altrimenti”
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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The Political Power of Food, with Marta Messa
December 2022
In June 2022, Slow Food elected a young and inspiring woman as Secretary General: Marta Messa. As Marta is also director of Slow Food Europe, we asked her our many questions about the political power of food in the world and about the upcoming opportunities to achieve a good, clean, and fair food policy in Europe. How can we save the world through food? Why is food so political? Is Europe on track to transition to sustainable food systems or are we going backwards? But also… what is Marta’s favorite winter dish? Tune in to find out!
Also available on Apple Podcast
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Busting the Myths About Food Waste
December 2022
1/3 of the food produced worldwide is either wasted or lost, which means it never ends up where it is supposed to : on our plates. Why is this a problem? Well, it costs countries millions of euros in lost revenue, causes unnecessary stress on the food chain, and harms the environment by contributing to global warming and climate change. Many myths have been circulating about what causes food waste and who produces more of it. You’ll learn all about it in this episode, and of course, about what’s up in the European Union to help address food waste, because there is no fun without a tad of food policy.
Our guests are:
- Anne-Luz Pijnenburg, member of the Slow Food Youth Network in Amsterdam
- Martin Bowman, food waste campaigner at Feedback
- Tom Václavík, coordinator of Slow Food Brno in Czech Republic
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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Reconciling Food and Health
October 2022
- Nikolai Pushkarev, Senior policy officer at European Public Health Alliance
- Corinna Hawkes, Director of the Centre for Food Policy, City, University of London
- Nina Wolff: Director of Slow Food Germany and board member of Slow Food International
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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The Global Food Crisis Explained
July 2022
Since the war in Ukraine broke out, the words “food security” and “food crisis” are on everyone’s lips. The conflict has had rippling effects on millions of people’s lives, with President Putin holding the specter of hunger over their head. Ukraine and Russia being such big producers and exporters of grain, elsewhere concerns are indeed mounting over potential food shortages. Meanwhile, the conflict has sent global food prices skyrocketing, which are hitting the poorest populations the hardest.
To cope with this crisis, some in Europe have suggested to lower environmental standards in agriculture in favour of increasing food production. Others like Slow Food, warn that this is a mistake, because environmental protection is key to ensure sustainable food security in the long run.
We hear many things about this food crisis, and this is a complex topic to grasp. How does it impact Europe and the world? How can we feed the world without the Ukrainian crops? Do we really need to produce more food while other farming alternatives are just waiting to be scaled up? We take a step back and untangle these complex issues with our guests:
- Nick Jacobs, director of IPES Food (the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems)
- Nathalie Bolduc, researcher at IDDRI (Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations)
- David Peacock, Slow Food farmer in Germany
Also available on Apple Podcast.
The Paradoxes of Animal Welfare in Europe
June 2022
The protection of animal welfare on farms has gained momentum in recent years in Europe, with more and more EU citizens calling for the end of their cruel exploitation. And this is with good reason, for farm animals are considered as mere profit machines.
Yet, it is said that the European Union has the most advanced legislation in the world regarding animal welfare standards. So why such a gap between the European law and farming practices on the ground? How bad is the state of animal welfare in Europe, and what is being done at the EU level to right such wrongs? Also, what alternatives are there to industrial animal farming? In this episode, we tell you the story of the many paradoxes of animal welfare in Europe with our guests:
- Jacopo Goracci, farmer of local ancient breeds of cows and pigs in rural Tuscany (Italy) and coordinator of a Slow Food presidium
- Andrea Gavinelli, who is in charge of the animal welfare unit at the EU Commission
- Olga Kikou, European Affairs Manager at the organization Compassion in World Farming
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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A Conversation with Young Food Activists
December 2021
Mid-December, members of the Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN) in Europe and students at the Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Science (UNISG) gathered in Bra, in northern Italy. It was a great opportunity for us to sit down with a few of them and discuss about their views on political activism, their desire to see a sustainable food system happening in Europe and beyond, and their relationship to the European Union.
- Jorrit, president of SFYN
- Mallory, American student at the Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Science (UNISG)
- Paolo, member of SFYN in Sardegna
- Lianne, president of SFYN Netherlands
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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COP26: What’s on the Menu for Food and Farming?
November 2021
Let’s talk about climate! Now that the COP26 is behind us and that dust has settled, let’s take a step back! Was the COP26 a success? What was decided about food and farming? Where does the EU stand in all this, and what is the EU’s way forward on climate change ? We answer all these questions with our three guests:
- Shane Holland, executive director of Slow Food in the UK
- Chantal Clément, Deputy Director of IPES-Food (the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems)
- Tim Mc Phie, European Commission Spokesperson for Climate Action and Energy
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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EU Farm to Fork Strategy: Science, Civil Society and the Planet over Corporate Interests.
October 2021
In this episode, our guests talk about the EU Farm to Fork Strategy and what has happened since its publication in May 2020. They shed light on the intense lobbying that the agro-chemical industry has been doing to try to weaken the Strategy, and how you, as European citizens, can influence food policy; one example being the recently-successful European Citizens Initiative “Save bees and farmers”. This episode’s speakers:
- Nina Holland, researcher at Corporate Europe Observatory
- Martin Dermine, policy officer at PAN Europe
- Tilly Metz, Member of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance at the European Parliament
Also available on Apple Podcast.
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What’s Going on with New GMOs?
May 2021
What are new GMOs? How do they differ from old GMOs? What are the EU latest developments on the matter? We asked three experts to answer these questions and many more:
- Elisa D’Aloisio, peasant farmer at the European Coordination Via Campesina with a PhD in genetics and practical expertise in GMOs
- Martin Sommer, policy coordinator at IFOAM Organics Europe, the association for organic food and farming in Europe
- Madeleine Coste, Policy Officer at Slow Food Europe