Ctrl-Alt-Meat

Carl Safina is the Founding President of the Safina Center, a nonprofit organization that supports advocacies and programs that spearhead wildlife preservation and conservation and raise awareness for species endangerment. Carl also hosted the PBS series Saving the Ocean, where he shows the beauty of Mother Nature and unseen societies and cultures to engage viewers into taking action in preserving what we have for future generations.

Carl joins me today to discuss what makes people and animals alike in terms of consciousness and culture. He explains how animals also have culture and how the way they live is not so different from our own. He shares where his passion for wildlife conservation started and the different pets he’s cared for throughout his childhood. He discusses why he disagrees with ascribing human behavior to everyday animal activities. Carl also shares the positive changes he sees regarding conservation efforts.

"People and animals are living the same life in different ways." - Carl Safina

This week on Ctrl-Alt-Meat:

• What inspired Carl's fascination with animals from a young age
• The different pets Carl raised growing up
• The similarities between animals and humans on how we live our lives
• Comparing and contrasting human consciousness and animal consciousness
• What it means for animals to have a culture
• Why humans developed culture and its significance in how we make sense of the world
• Why Carl is not a fan of anthropomorphizing animals
• The two mistakes people make when assuming animal intelligence
• The extinction crisis and how we can improve our conservation efforts
• Addressing the species imbalance that the world is facing today
• The role of animal agriculture in the endangerment of animal populations
• Countries with generally good farming and fishing practices
• Why Saving the Ocean is a more optimistic program on environmental conservation
• The best ways to tackle environmental issues
• What the average person can do to boost conservation efforts
• Positive changes regarding various conservation programs

Resources Mentioned:

• A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

Connect with Carl Safina:

• Carl Safina official website
• Saving the Ocean documentary
• The Safina Center

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

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Fiona Reynolds is the CEO of Principles for Responsible Investment, an investor initiative supported by the United Nations that supports investing in companies that pass the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria. Maria Lettini is the Executive Director of FAIRR, a rising investor network focusing on ESG risks in the global food sector. Both women come from organizations that aim to marry ethical growth and finances with the end goal of reducing environmental and health problems, including large carbon footprints and antibiotic overuse in food.

Fiona Reynolds and Maria Lettini join me to discuss how you can invest in companies that pass the ESG criteria. They discuss the current mindset regarding ethical industries and practices in the food industry and explain the importance of presenting ESG problems in a way that affects an individual’s bottomline. They describe the positive changes they have seen with government regulations in light of ESG becoming more mainstream. They also explain their concerns for antimicrobial resistance and why it can be a more devastating global disaster than any pandemic.

"ESG is about how you integrate environmental, social, and government issues into the investment process." - Fiona Reynolds

This week on CTRL-ALT-Meat:

• What ESG is and why it should be included in the investment process
• The driving factors that made people change their perspectives on ESG
• Why it's critical to tackle environmental issues from an investment perspective
• Making health the top priority for the good of the economy
• Why the list of ESG-related problems continues to grow
• The biggest challenge Fiona faced at PRI
• How you can invest through a future lens
• The changes they've seen from a regulatory point of view in considering ESG initiatives
• How climate change has made people think about the food they eat
• The ways people can contribute to long-term climate change efforts without government support
• Their optimistic and pessimistic expectations from the upcoming COP26 conference
• The fears they have with the long-term effects of antibiotic overuse
• How technology supports ESG efforts and how it enables ESG issues
• Their thoughts on the current COVID-19 situation and what the world will be like after
• The investor actions they predict with regards to antimicrobial resistance

Resources Mentioned:

• Blackfish
• UN Climate Change Conference COP26

Connect with Fiona Reynolds and Maria Lettini:

• Principles for Responsible Investment
• FAIRR
• Fiona Reynolds LinkedIn
• Maria Lettini LinkedIn

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of CTRL-ALT-Meat. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Camilla Fayed is the Founder of FARMACY, a plant-based restaurant in London known to provide customers with high-quality and organic plant-based foods and drinks. Camilla founded FARMACY on the belief that plant-based food is medicine to the human body. She is passionate about natural farming and sustainability, and upholds a strong belief that future restaurants must coexist with nature.

Camilla joins me today to discuss why she shifted to a 100% plant-based lifestyle and how food became her medicine. She shares the idea behind FARMACY and the struggles she encountered before it became a household name in London. She explains why it’s not the food we eat that is really harming us, but the additives megacorporations put in to make the food taste better. Camilla also describes her thoughts on those who view plant-based living as expensive and what she finds exciting about living a plant-based lifestyle.

"If the world wants to limit climate change, it needs to start with your plate." - Camilla Fayed

This week on CTRL-ALT-Meat:

• Camilla's journey towards a plant-based lifestyle
• The risks Camilla took when she started FARMACY
• The philosophy she believes with regards to food as medicine
• Why additives are what is truly harming our health
• Bringing plant-based education to those who don't have access to local farms
• What Camilla would tell people who find plant-based alternatives expensive
• Camilla's collaboration with fashion outlet Mother of Pearl
• What excites Camilla in the world of plant-based eating

Resources Mentioned:

• Mother of Pearl

Connect with Camilla Fayed:

• FARMACY
• FARMACY on Facebook

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of CTRL-ALT-Meat. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Jim Mellon is the Chairman of Juvenescence, a biotech company disrupting the health industry through the latest advancements in supplements. He is the author of Moo's Law: An Investor’s Guide to the New Agrarian Revolution, where he talks about how cultivated meat technology can radically change the way the food system works. Jim supports startups that aim to innovate the food industry to promote a society that no longer relies on real meat.

Jim joins me today to discuss why he is optimistic about the future of food systems. He shares how the exponential growth of science and the next decade will have more scientific innovations than in the last 100 years. He explains the secret meaning behind his book’s title and what he wants readers to take away from it. He describes the disaster that awaits us if we don’t put a stop to antimicrobial resistance. Jim also discusses the hurdles that the cultivated meat industry will face and the countries that will likely adapt to lab-grown meat first.

"Science is moving much faster than it used to - and just in time, actually. We need it to move faster." - Jim Mellon

This week on CTRL-ALT-Meat:

• Why Jim is optimistic about how the food system will evolve in the future
• The frailty of the food supply chain
• How science is progressing faster than it did hundreds of years ago
• The secret meaning behind the title of his book
• What Jim suggests to those who criticize lab-made meat products
• The growing problems in using antibiotics in animal feeds and the worst-case scenario
• Why cell-ag meat is healthier and more sustainable than real meat
• The different meat products you see today compared to a decade ago
• The growth of the infant nutrition market and noticeable innovations
• Will the alternative meat industry experience a startup bubble
• The biggest hurdles Cell-Ag is facing and will face in the future
• Countries that will adapt to lab-made foods first
• What readers will find helpful in his book

Resources Mentioned:

• Meatable
• VitroLabs Inc
• Peter Singer
• Seaspiracy
• Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

Connect with Jim Mellon:

• Juvenescence
• Book: Moo’s Law: An Investor’s Guide to the New Agrarian Revolution

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of CTRL-ALT-Meat. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Dr. Lance Price is a co-director at the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center—or ARAC—at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. ARAC was formed to research and educate people about the use and overuse of antibiotics in our food. Dr. Price’s research revolves around retracing the ecology, epidemiology, and evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and has been cited as a great resource in peer-reviewed journals.

Lance joins me to discuss antibiotic resistance and how it can become a global threat to public health. He describes possible ways humans can prevent antibiotic resistance, including regulating antibiotic use in agriculture. He shares where his passion for researching superbugs stemmed from. He explains how governments all over the world are imposing laws on antibiotic use. Dr. Price also discusses why he prefers to add humor each time he’s asked to present his thoughts on antibiotic overuse.

"Antibiotics aren't a zero-risk category of drugs." - Dr. Lance Price

This week on CTRL-ALT-Meat:

• Why antibiotic resistance is the most significant public health crisis
• Solutions to fixing antibiotic resistance
• What antimicrobial resistance is and the scale of the problem
• What motivated Dr. Price to study the use of antibiotics in farm animals and their dangers
• The strict regulations applied to antibiotic usage in animals
• Mainstream food industries and their commitment to antibiotic-free sources
• How bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics.
• Price’s thoughts on public health being politicized
• What we learned from the pandemic and the steps we need to take regarding healthcare
• Why Dr. Price uses humor to communicate his ideas
• What Dr. Price wants users to take away from this episode

Connect with Dr. Lance Price:

• Antibiotic Resistance Action Center
• Antibiotic Resistance Action Center on Twitter
• Lance Price on LinkedIn

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of CTRL-ALT-Meat. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Andrew Wasley is an investigative journalist who specializes in food production and how it contributes to environmental problems. He is a member of the not-for-profit Bureau of Investigative Journalism, an organization that firmly believes in the vital role of investigative journalism in keeping a strong democracy. Andrew is also the author of The Ecologist Guide to Food, where he talks about the dark side of the food we eat with stories involving animal suffering, the destruction of ecosystems, pollution, and human rights abuses.

Andrew joins me today to discuss how food industries are contributing to antibiotic resistance and creating superbugs. He describes his investigative work and how his research changed the way people perceive the food they eat and explains why regulation is not always practical when it comes to preserving our natural resources. Andrew also shares facts about antibiotic overuse, its short and long-term consequences, and describes why he’s not overly optimistic about the future of food production.

"Ultimately, it's about stopping and thinking where your food is coming from." - Andrew Wasley

This week on Ctrl-Alt-Meat:

• Andrew's research on deforestation and antimicrobial resistance
• How the pandemic made politicians talk about major food problems
• How mass food production and consumption negatively impact our forests
• Why reducing meat consumption won't really fix the deforestation problem
• How soy consumption and production contribute to global deforestation
• Why a "clean" supply chain is no longer free from "dirty" sources
• Is regulation the best way to improve our conservation efforts?
• The overuse of antibiotics in the food supply and the spread of superbugs
• Why it's the less developed countries that will suffer when antibiotics no longer work
• The best way to effect change in the awareness of the overuse of antibiotics in food
• The consequences of antibiotic overuse
• Positive results of the investigations and research Andrew and his team have done
• The ethical and hygienic practices for food safety and abattoirs
• Why Andrew is not optimistic about where the food industry is going

Resources Mentioned:

• UN Climate Change Conference COP26

Connect with Andrew Wasley:

• Andrew Wasley Official Website
• The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
• Blog: Eating the Earth: Our Investigation of Industrial Farming
• Book: Ecologist Guide to Food
• Andrew Wasley on Twitter

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Ctrl-Alt-Meat. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeartRadio

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diana Reiss is a cognitive psychologist whose research focuses on the communication and cognition of marine animals. The core of her specialization revolves around dolphins and the evolution of their intelligence and sense of self. She is the author of The Dolphin in the Mirror where she talks about how dolphins possess the rare ability to recognize themselves in front of a mirror - once thought to be exclusive to apes and humans. She is a strong advocate for preserving aquatic life, spearheading environment preservation programs and protesting against industrial practices that destroy oceanic habitats. Diana is also a core member of Interspecies Internet, a global think-tank that seeks to accelerate interfaces that facilitate interspecies communication.

Diana joins me today to discuss her passion for dolphin research, where it all began, and when her advocacies for animals started. She discusses how her research on dolphin intelligence changed what we know about them and explains the similarities between dolphins and humans regarding self-awareness and learning techniques. Diana also shares her experience with filming The Cove, a documentary about Japan’s dolphin hunting practices and explains the goal of Interspecies Internet.

“By decoding, we could converse with animals. By decoding, we can understand what they are saying.” - Diana Reiss

This week on CTRL-ALT-Meat:

• Why Diana made the switch from arts to studying dolphin cognition
• Diana's history of rescuing animals in her youth
• How Diana's studies have changed the way the scientific community viewed dolphins
• What Diana discovered about the first stages of dolphin interactions between mothers and calves
• The different ways dolphins communicate with each other
• How Diana gives dolphins a means to communicate with them
• Why dolphins are like humans when it comes to vocal learning
• Diana's findings regarding dolphins' sense of self and social awareness
• Diana's opinions on dolphin hunting and her advocacies
• What really goes on during a dolphin hunting expedition
• Using stories over facts to convince people to care for dolphins
• What they learned when they taught dolphins how to use touchscreens
• Rescuing a whale in 1985
• Why we have to rethink our industrial fishing practices
• What Diana would encourage people to do to improve environmental conservation practices

Resources Mentioned:

• Peter Gabriel
• Alex the Parrot
• The Rescue of Humphrey, The Humpback Whale

Connect with Diana Reiss:

• Interspecies Internet
• Book: The Dolphin in the Mirror: Exploring Dolphin Minds and Saving Dolphin Lives
• The Cove

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of CTRL-ALT-Meat. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify

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Join us on LinkedIn and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ethan Brown is the President and CEO at Beyond Meat, a company that champions plant-based alternatives that look and taste just like real meat. Their movement stems from the idea of how a plant-based lifestyle can have positive changes to our health and the ecosystem. Before founding Beyond Meat, Ethan was an energy analyst for the National Governor’s Center for Best Practices focused on clean energy.

Ethan joins me today to discuss the beginnings of Beyond Meat and their plans for the future. He describes how a plant-based lifestyle can have positive effects on major world issues, including climate change. He explains how they create meat, what it’s made of, and its health benefits. He discusses why a competitive market would make for a great plant-based industry. Ethan also shares how they plan on becoming just as mainstream as McDonald’s or KFC.

"Simply switching from an animal-based protein to a plant-based protein, you can contribute to all four major issues: human health, climate, natural resources, and animal welfare." - Ethan Brown

This week on CTRL-ALT-Meat:

• The beginnings of Beyond Meat and what inspired Ethan to start the company
• How switching to a plant-based diet can help with various global problems
• The methods involved in creating Beyond Meat’s plant-based products
• How history has been biased towards animal protein for centuries
• Why having a competitive market makes the industry better
• Ethan's stance on GMO fruits and vegetables
• What Beyond Meat needs to do to go fully mainstream
• Moving to the quick-serve restaurant space and why it's critical for public acceptance
• The biggest challenges Ethan believes the company will face in the near future

Resources Mentioned:

• Jeff Manning

Connect with Ethan Brown:

• Beyond Meat
• Ethan Brown on LinkedIn

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of CTRL-ALT-Meat. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Stephanie Haszczyn is a Programme Officer at FAIRR, an international network of investors that entices businesses to follow ESG guidelines and other sustainable practices. Stephanie recently joined FAIRR last October, but she carries over four years of research writing and coordinating experience from various organizations, including a career at Frontiers as a Journal Specialist. In her free time, Stephanie regularly volunteers as an assistant at Oxfam and as a Volunteer Archivist at the Walworth Garden.

Stephanie joins me to discuss how Brexit has affected the UK’s overall food production and supply chain systems. She explains how long it would take for the UK to return to pre-Brexit production output and describes some of the new policies and programs the UK has enacted since. Stephanie also shares how FAIRR investors responded to the EU taxonomy and how Brexit has compounded the food supply chain challenges that were created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The impact of Brexit on our food supply chains has really hurt producers and consumers hard." -

Stephanie Haszczyn

This week on Ctrl-Alt-Meat:

• How Brexit affected the UK's food production
• The impact of Brexit on the workforce of food systems
• How long it could be before the UK can do what the EU used to do for their food systems
• What FAIRR investors did in response to EU taxonomy
• The progress of UK's post-Brexit agricultural policies
• How Brexit has compounded the food supply chain issue created by COVID-19

Resources Mentioned:

• $3.5trn Investor Letter Calls for a Robust EU Taxonomy Aligned with 1.5°C

Connect with Stephanie Haszczyn:

• FAIRR
• Stephanie Haszczyn on LinkedIn

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Ctrl-Alt-Meat. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Simeon Van der Molen is the Founder & CEO of Moving Mountains Foods, a British company that offers a wide variety of alternative meat products, including their signature “meatless bleeding burger.” Simeon’s role is to create the world’s most realistic food tech products that also contribute to the long-term preservation of the environment. Simeon is also the owner of Ecozone, a privately-owned European manufacturer of detergent liquids and tablets.

Simeon joins me to share how Moving Mountains was created to “move mountains” in the plant-based food industry. He describes how his love for plant-based food began at a young age and how the vegan community reacted to the ‘meatless bleeding burger.’ He discusses the processes involved in making their meat products taste genuine. Simeon also explains how supermarkets helped keep his company afloat during the pandemic and why he is not enthusiastic about a novel product that’s not a meat copy.

"Having chefs with an open mind is important. In order to get onto the menu or in a restaurant, you’ve got to get past the chefs." - Simeon Van der Molen

This week on Ctrl-Alt-Meat:

• What sets Moving Mountains Foods apart from other plant-based foods
• Simeon's personal reasons on starting Moving Mountains Foods
• Why Simeon disliked animal-based products since he was 9
• How Moving Mountains Foods make their products taste like real meat
• The backlash Simeon received from the vegan community over what they call their products
• How supermarkets helped Moving Mountains Foods financially survive the city lockdowns
• Non-food items where animal parts are included
• How price pressure can indirectly ruin the environment
• Developments Simeon is excited to see in the coming years
• Will Simeon launch a product that is not a meat alternative?

Connect with Simeon Van der Molen:

• Moving Mountains Foods
• Ecozone
• Simeon Van der Molen on LinkedIn

Resetting the Food System for a Better Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Ctrl-Alt-Meat. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeartRadio

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Join us on LinkedIn and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.