In a new podcast series, ‘Unearthed: Journeys into the future of food’, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew says they look at the state of our failing food systems and shows how the world leading authority on plant and fungal science, and its partners are working to overcome some of the biggest food challenges we face globally.
In this 6 part series presenters - Advolly Richmond, garden historian; James Wong, ethnobotanist and TV presenter and Poppy Okocha, ecological food grower - will dig into how our relationship with food is problematic and offer some solutions to the blockages, says Kew.
Talking on the series, Advolly Richmond says: “Food systems are failing: We are producing limited numbers of crops that in turn limit our nutrition and are vulnerable to being wiped out altogether. Industrial-scale farming practices have weakened our soils, climate change is ravaging landscapes and traditional livelihoods. Plus, global supply-chains can conceal dark secrets.”
Poppy Okocha follows on to say: “Meanwhile, we’re wasting vast amounts of food in some places, whilst in other places people are starving. The way things stand, we’re on track for a future where the world is hungry, the planet is spent and our health and diets fail us.”
James Wong concludes: “In this series, we show how we can use plant science, technology, traditional practices and history to inform and change our behaviour today to change the fate of our food crises - it will reveal how you, your shopping basket, and global science will save the world.”
Whilst the facts are worrying, the people at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew say they are helping to future proof food security for generations to come. In the podcast they say we will hear about how they go about conserving endangered plant species and researching sustainable alternatives to support biodiversity, lives and livelihoods.
RBG Kew also reveals what they are doing towards enhancing agrobiodiversity and reinforcing forest conservation, as well as funding projects which are seeking out plants that provide better nutrition and security for people around the world.
RBG Kew added, the daily food choices we all make can play a part in supporting social and cultural change globally and this podcast will show us how.
Preview clips of the episodes can be accessed here and the episode titles and release dates are as follows:
- Episode 1: We have a problem - release date 6th of October
- Episode 2: Food security, supply and waste - release date 6th of October
- Episode 3: Biodiversity loss and food - release date 20th of October
- Episode 4: Agriculture and livelihoods - release date 3rd of November
- Episode 5: Future foods - release date 17th of November
- Episode 6: Food and wellbeing - release date 1st of December
RBG Kew have announced that guests include:
- Judith Batchelar, former director of Sainsbury’s and RBG Kew Trustee
- Dan Saladino, journalist and author of Eating to Extinction. The World’s Rarest Foods & Why We Need to Save Them
- Max La Manna - Low-waste food chef
- From Kew, listeners will hear from:
- Prof Alexandre Antonelli - Kew’s director of science who recently released his first book The Hidden Universe: Adventures in Biodiversity
- Prof Phil Stevenson - priority leader of trait diversity and function, studies plant and fungal traits to aid conservation, increase resilience to global change, and explore potential uses of plants and fungi for human health and well-being
- Dr Elinor Breman - senior research leader at the Millennium Seedbank, where RBG Kew are working together with international partners around the world to ensure the future of wild plant species
- Dr Aisyah Faruk - conservation partnership coordinator, collects and conserves seeds, collaborates with local institutions on research of endemic and highly threatened/rare flora and the sustainable use of important wild harvested plants
- Dr Tiziana Ulian - senior research leader at Kew Science, leads a research group which is developing plant diversity approaches to support communities in locations and economies where nutritional, income and biodiversity issues are of paramount importance
- Dr James Borrell - research fellow, focuses on combining cutting edge genetic and genomic methods with high resolution environmental niche modelling to guide conservation and agricultural interventions
- Dr Casper Charter - research leader, who is seeking to improve crop resilience and adaptation to the climate crisis
For updates throughout the series, RBG Kew says you can follow on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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