From field to fork, our food system is mired in problems. It has harmed both the environment and human health. Land and waterways have been damaged by intensive farming as some of us suffer from diseases caused by what we eat and others are going hungry. No wonder a growing number of people believe change is urgently needed.
Among them is Henry Dimbleby, cofounder of restaurant chain Leon. When he was appointed the UK's "food tsar" in 2019, it was heralded as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for change. He was to lead a year-long review that would culminate in a national food strategy to revamp the way the UK farms, and the way it feeds its population.
In March, Dimbleby quit his role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs after politicians failed to act on most of his recommendations. "It's not a strategy," he said of the resulting policy. "It doesn't set out a clear vision as to why we have the problems we have now and it doesn't set out what needs to be done." Dimbleby hasn't finished pushing for change, but is trying a different approach.
Hoping to get his ideas across to a larger audience, he and his wife, journalist Jemima Lewis, have collaborated on a book, Ravenous: How to Get Ourselves and Our Planet Into Shape.
"Very few sane people are going to go online to download a government document, then read it," says Dimbleby, now. "But the story is very important: why we're becoming unhealthy, why we're destroying nature."
Denne historien er fra July 22 - 28 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra July 22 - 28 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.