560: Future foods - how to revolutionise food production

Have you ever wondered what it would take to feed 10 billion people without destroying the planet?

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our event in Manchester in May 2025, we tackle this question head-on with a leading researcher from the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London.

Dr Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro breaks down the uncomfortable truths about our current food system: agriculture accounts for 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions, we are wasting 30% of everything we produce, and yet demand is skyrocketing as the world population heads toward 10 billion by 2050.

He explores three game-changing approaches to alternative proteins that could solve this puzzle, and reveals how cutting-edge science is making the impossible possible, including yeast that's been launched to space to tackle the cost of feeding astronauts.

But the real story is how these breakthrough technologies could transform food production right here on Earth.

Guest:
Dr Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, Director, the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein