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The BBC Radio 3, ‘free thinking, green thinking’ podcast series has been developed in the lead up to the UK hosting the UN Climate Change Conference, (COP 26) in Glasgow, starting 31st October 2021.
Peter Jackson is in conversation with presenter Des Fitzgerald and fellow academic Matthew Davies to discuss ‘How can we make food and farming more sustainable?’ The panel begin with a recognition that decreasing meat consumption by 30% in the UK would make a significant reduction to UK greenhouse gas emissions. In 2019 it was estimated that agriculture accounts for 10% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, cattle in particular are typically an inefficient means of converting their food to protein requiring large land areas and producing emissions themselves.
The panel compare and draw parallels between the UK and East African food systems and consider how these connect at the global scale. The wide-ranging discussion also includes: dietary transitions; intensive large scale agricultural production contrasted with small holder farming; the potential for local horticulture vs. international global supply chains; the importance of food and culture; food waste; and the impacts of a changing climate on food production.
The podcast became available on 20th July and can be found here: Arts & Ideas – Green Thinking: Food – BBC Sounds