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

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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.