Feed: a food systems podcast

US Soy Farmer on “I can only control the things I can control”

Soy looks different depending on where you sit. For Ryan Britt, who's farming soy, corn, wheat and cattle on over 2,000 hectares in North Central Missouri, it's the crop that reliably pays the bills. In 2025, Ryan found himself squarely in the middle of a global trade story he had very little control over. We talk about what he can control on the farm — cover cropping, no-till, rotations — and why he still advocates for farmers even when he'd rather be on a tractor. Register for the Bolivia soy webinar here [https://www.tabledebates.org/event/latin-americas-soy-frontier-bolivia-next-brazil] For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/ episode97 [https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode97] Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org Episode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

Volts: Can fake meat solve climate change?

After several hype years, plant-based and cultivated meat have faced growing skepticism. Lately, the media has written obituaries. And the market value is declining. Bruce Friedrich, founder and president of the Good Food Institute, offers a different view: the long view. Friedrich joined clean energy reporter David Roberts on the Volts podcast to discuss his new book, Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity’s Favorite Food—and Our Future. It’s an honest conversation about a difficult topic, that's well worth listening to. Shared here on Feed with permission. For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/ episode96 [https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode96] Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org Subscribe to the Volts podcast [https://www.volts.wtf/] Read Bruce Friedrich's new book: Meat [https://meatbook.org]

The meat question

Why can reasonable people look at the same evidence on meat—and still eat very differently? Matthew Kessler shares a personal essay reflecting on his time working on livestock farms, conversations with experts across all sides of the issue, and on his own on-and-off relationship with eating animals. For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/ episode95 [https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode95] Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org Episode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions. Tangle Essay: What we disagree about when we talk about meat [https://www.readtangle.com/otherposts/what-we-disagree-about-when-we-disagree-about-meat/] TABLE Podcast: Meat: the four futures  [https://www.tabledebates.org/meat] TABLE Report: Meat, Metrics and Mindsets [https://www.tabledebates.org/meat-metrics-mindsets]

Agroecology and Sustainable Intensification: the values beneath the science

What does “sustainable agriculture” actually mean, and why do scientists disagree about it? This episode explores how two influential scientific discourses - Agroecology and Sustainable Intensification - start from different values, ask different questions, and often talk past each other. Drawing on an interdisciplinary study at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, ecologist Riccardo Bommarco and ethicist Helena Rocklinsberg examine how those different approaches shape research, priorities, and solutions. The conversation turns to what might change when scientists begin to listen to each other across divides. For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/ episode94 [https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode94] Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org Episode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.

The future of food retail, made simple

Most industries have a clear roadmap for transformation. The power sector goes renewable. Cars go electric. But food and agriculture? The world’s most impactful—and most damaging—industry still has no shared path to transformation. Food sustainability consultant and retail expert Mike Barry argues that the future of food hinges on one counterintuitive idea: simplification. And he explains how AI, smarter data, and design can potentially speed up change. For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/ episode93 [https://tabledebates.org/podcast/episode93] Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org Episode edited and hosted by Matthew Kessler. Music by Blue dot sessions.