People often think of vegans as a caricature. However, even among this group with similarly stricter diets than the average, there is a great deal of diversity. In order to better understand some of these different perspectives, I sat down with a group of 6 vegans to have a non-confrontational conversation about what it means to be vegan. Tune in to our first of two episodes titled "Talking to Vegans". Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/fqGL-3VKvrOU078OEl6RHnPlvkq5_m-xgcBcp-2vGLJyFYeG6w3bfOhf81AtQYDQByqs80Sc7zIt1KliCKF5MzmmIy0?loadFrom=SharedLink

“Why don’t they get it?” is a question we often hear among the scientific community when speculating about consumers’ hesitancy to accept new scientific developments. However, the manner in which the general public interacts with evidence is not necessarily the way scientists think they do – which complicates matters. In this episode we sit down with Maya Goldenberg, associate professor at the University of Guelph, to discuss how we come to accept knowledge in our lives and justify our beliefs. We discuss the parallels between vaccine hesitancy and the food industry and why certain communication campaigns about these matters have failed in the past. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/_5_Gqr3vtfCizvlTYw7-SZjvAiGi16_cvasXAC_ZmZF7tqvb1HFuPt3-8XUym5YTrHlU5o1lZr-7LOnnhu6P1E4xUQ4?loadFrom=SharedLink

Ned Bell is a long time sustainable seafood ambassador and is the Ocean Wise Executive Chef based at the Vancouver Aquarium. Calling his cooking "globally inspired and locally created", Ned is passionate about encouraging diverse, local diets - which of course involve seafood. In this episode he encourages us to think more about what we eat and why we select certain foods. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/DTz1xC8NMQ_6Y6C0SRkqVFca8cLHU_5GXblHwn_v--GArZXlS9or3DHWGfMxbSp0j9F4XtC5YXM38btuSsZjzXzv-NA?loadFrom=SharedLink

Join us in this unconventional episode where the Food Focus team engages in our first ever “Taste Test”. Listen along as we compare common food products for which there are conventional and premium product options. Can we tell the difference between organic tortilla chips and conventional ones? Does a higher price mean improved value and taste? Tune in to find out as we continue to broaden our learning about food, biases, product characteristics and value.

Transcript available here:https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/-tdUXQ2_2HuuvoB0-9lcLBGfuRi26ssCJOSGBaCjl1SGzezQ0Y2C4jdmUypssFANlQGGpLplgD6Ac5OiIyKwY1fw9S8?loadFrom=SharedLink

Consumers are frequently inundated with messages and information about food. Andrew Campbell, the Fresh Air Farmer, is helping people to make sense of this cacophony. Media guru and farmer in Southern Ontario, Andrew is well-versed in communication strategies and education. In this episode, informally dubbed as the “absolutely agree with you episode”, we discuss how he thinks about engagement, what we're doing well, and what we can do better.

Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/r5Fbq2uwqOVaN09vvYtykh983hgUAV-uqdXPBAMqDV0pHfmHkmu69yYE_4AD2VltYZBbCJTvB8YdeWi_-iWcLeP8kUc?loadFrom=SharedLink

Customers are moving away from the traditional restaurant experience and embracing the convenience of restaurant food delivery instead. The question remains, is this changing the way we eat or simply giving us more choice? In this episode we sit down with Andrew Coppolino, local food commentator and columnist for CBC-Radio in Waterloo Region, to discuss the growth in restaurant delivery and the future of food service.

Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/OG2MPkBdnTykes8UMtv5nh3mozwHEbgHdfYXYnW4PSGKX4vte7af87ya1XcW7P1vZ_sap5UnhDGH6maWUANzzxB9kXI?loadFrom=SharedLink

When it comes to space exploration, food determines how far from earth we can go and how long we can stay. How to reliably and indefinitely produce food beyond terrestrial bounds remains an unanswered question. However, Mike Dixon, professor in the School of Environmental Sciences and Director of the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) at the University of Guelph has been trying to answer this question for some time now. In this episode, we sat down with Mike to discuss the technical challenges of growing food in space and how his research can also be used to address food insecurity back on earth.

Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/7OHZDbrLdQZUJgQIFItu9d577o2nKKquIgdSv4ctupXkzdKcbp49C3Kr_naOWflX5XUljubh45CPQyLKMk5uKneV3og?loadFrom=SharedLink

Social media now plays a significant role in shaping the public’s understanding of food production. As such, farmers have been encouraged to be proactive on various social media platforms. But is it working?

In this episode, we sit down with communications expert Christina Crowley-Arklie to discuss the importance of digital communications in agriculture.

Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/NgysdQbaMSDInxuaSDdjcMK9r7cX4niYk1tHBvPwa7mMR_s8zQ4pzSZ8fkwjujYKsP2sOb9ew9xaUDGXWkcFsuourOg?loadFrom=SharedLink

For many years now, experts in Canada have been calling for a coordinated food policy to address issues related to the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food. In this episode, we sit down with Evan Fraser, Director of the Arrell Food Institute and professor of geography at the University of Guelph to discuss what a food policy might consist of, why it matters and how it can be executed properly.

Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/84Iih_Q0cc3ef0oyvAhtfIEPjYdJKhHUoHZEQzKn5xa86pEWlPJY-PZskPiRmLiPP9DtC5Ay4aKsMUu3lzS2UOAHPiM?loadFrom=SharedLink

In a society where fewer people are knowledgeable about agriculture, it can be difficult to educate consumers on issues that arise relating to food. With an expectation of both safety and choice when it comes to food, keeping consumers and farmers on the same page can be challenging. In this episode, we sit down with Crystal Mackay, president of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity to discuss agriculture, food choices and what needs to change in order to maintain both choice and trust in the Canadian Food System. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/lJlw9EHO3Wt9iz9KUWKUJptFq8kyGmBtK6iZv_PIpI-4Rpm-jTpO5L_8GMnl_J_UbIbWAnIYxev4Oow0X1jwBHWtEvk?loadFrom=SharedLink