Thin Lei Win on Food Systems, Rice and Power in Southeast Asia
Why does Myanmar, often called the "rice bowl of Southeast Asia," continue to struggle with high rates of malnutrition? In this episode, journalist Thin Lei Win helps us unpack how political decisions, land ownership, and regional power dynamics shape food systems in Myanmar and beyond. We explore how issues like palm oil expansion and rice production connect to wider challenges around climate and biodiversity—and why lasting change remains difficult without addressing structural inequalities. Still, there are reasons for cautious optimism. Thin shares why she’s inspired by a new generation of journalists and activists working toward more just and sustainable food futures across Southeast Asia.For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode85Check out and subcribe to Thin InkWant to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.orgGuestThin Lei Win, Food and Climate JournalistHostJack Thompson, TABLEEpisode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler and Jack Thompson. Music by Blue dot sessions.
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30:40
Is this the future of food? (with Michael Grunwald)
Can humanity feed nearly 10 billion people without frying the planet? That question is at the heart of journalist Michael Grunwald’s provocative argument in Sorry, This Is the Future of Food, his recent New York Times essay and the basis of his forthcoming book, We Are Eating the Earth. He warns that we’re clearing an acre of rainforest every six seconds to grow more food — and even if we quit fossil fuels, we won’t avert climate chaos unless we fix how we use land. In this episode, Grunwald makes the case that high-yield industrial agriculture, for all its flaws, might be our best chance to grow more food on less land. For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode84Pre-order We Are Eating the Earth by Michael Grunwald.Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.orgGuestMichael Grunwald, Journalist and authorHostJack Thompson, TABLEEpisode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler and Jack Thompson. Music by Blue dot sessions.
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47:17
Ken Giller on the Perils of Populism and Precarious Promise of Regenerative Agriculture
Can we have more honest conversations about the future of food and agriculture? That’s the plea from Ken Giller, recently retired professor at Wageningen University, after four decades of witnessing both progress and setbacks in supporting farmers worldwide. We discuss the dangers of populist narratives that oversimplify agricultural challenges, how to reshape research incentives to embrace complexity and nuance, why he opposes carbon credit schemes for farmers, and more.For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode83GuestsKen Giller, Wageningen UniversityHostMatthew Kessler, TABLEEpisode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.
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25:12
TikTok masculinity and the Tradwife (with Feminist Food Journal)
What else should we consider when shifting to natural, whole foods—beyond just their health benefits? Feminist Food Journal co-founders Isabela Bonnevera and Zoë Johnson explore the deeper questions: whose labor makes these diets possible, who can afford them, and how culture and experience shape our food choices. We dive into these issues and uncover how a simple "natural foods" search on TikTok exposes striking gender dynamics.For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode82GuestsIsabela Bonnevera, FFJ + ICTA-UABZoë Johnson, FFJ + GPPiHostJackie Turner, TABLEEpisode edited and produced by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.
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39:20
From horses to AI: Jennifer Clapp on how fossil fuels shaped agriculture
Is the battle over who controls and owns agricultural data one of the most important—and least discussed—fights in 21st-century farming? In this conversation, Jennifer Clapp (prof at the University of Waterloo and member of IPES-Food) explores the deep ties between fossil fuels and our food system, tracing their influence from fertilizers and pesticides to farm mechanization and digital agriculture. She unpacks how fossil-fueled inputs have shaped—and continue to shape—modern farming. For more info and resources, please visit our episode webpage.GuestsJennifer Clapp, IPES-FoodEdited by Matthew Kessler. Audio engineering by Adam Titmuss. Cover art by The Ethical Agency. Music by Blue dot sessions.Fuel to Fork is powered by TABLE, IPES-Food and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food.
Is local or global more sustainable? What role should meat play in our diets? Who holds power in the food system? In a polarized world, this podcast explores the visions, values and evidence behind these debates. Feed, a project of TABLE, is in conversation with diverse experts who are trying to transform the food system. Originally established as a collaboration between the University of Oxford, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), and Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the TABLE network has since grown to include la Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) and la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. This podcast is operated by SLU. For more info, visit https://tabledebates.org/podcast/
México