People | Planet | Food - Roger Robson-Williams speaks with Mike Casey, about producing cherries without using fossil fuels and running a charity called Rewiring Aotearoa.

They discuss what it takes to build a fully electrified orchard and the emerging opportunities for farmers and growers to help address growing demand for renewable power. Mike explains how Rewiring Aotearoa is helping kiwis save money on energy bills, reduce their carbon emissions, and have the resilience to keep their lights on and homes warm. This episode highlights the changing relationship between energy, food production, and the everyday decisions we all make about how to live our lives.

For further information on Rewiring Aotearoa see: www.rewiring.nz

To view our full catalogue of podcasts go to our Scigest page: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

AI has captured everyone’s attention and clearly has the potential to be a very important tool for our scientists in the future, but there are still a lot of learnings about the benefits and risks of this technology. Podcaster James Sainsbury speaks to Data Scientist Sam Birch about two projects that utilise computer vision, a field making heavy use of the recent improvements in AI. They discuss how this technology has benefited his work and why, like all tools, it still needs to be used with care and awareness of its limitations.

 

For more information on AI and data science from some of our data science team please listen to a previous podcast,  “A leap into data science” https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/article/a-leap-into-data-science.

To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

People | Planet | Food - Roger Robson-Williams speaks with Catherine Leeper, a Learning Advisor at Climate Action Campus Ōtautahi, about the importance of empowering rangatahi (young people) to take action on climate change. Catherine talks about her farming roots, her journey to Aotearoa New Zealand, and the initiatives of the Climate Action Campus, particularly in educating students about sustainability and promoting fairer, healthier, and environmentally restorative futures. They explore the importance of this for improving the mental health of our children and teenagers. Catherine also shares some of the awesome sustainability hacks she’s practising in her family life. To learn more please see: www.climateaction.school.nz. To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

Aotearoa New Zealand has many native solitary bees, but not much is known about them. In this Scigest episode, newly-minted podcaster and apiculture scientist James Sainsbury speaks to entomologist Anna Kokeny about her research on our little-known native bees. They also discuss Anna's career journey and share tips for budding scientists. Anna is a dedicated science communicator and has joined the scigest team as our podcaster based at our Hawkes Bay site.

To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

People | Planet | Food - Roger Robson-Williams speaks with Kate Meyer, Founder and CEO of the Planetary Accounting Network (PAN). This small not-for-profit organisation from Wānaka is dedicated to translating cutting-edge earth systems science into actionable plans that help individuals, businesses, and governments operate within global environmental limits. Kate shares her journey from avid skier to the creator of Planetary Accounting, a scientifically robust method for understanding how to live within our fair share of the planet’s finite resources. We also explore the potential of 'Planetary Facts' labels on food and other products and discuss how this New Zealand start-up is impacting policy discussions across Europe. To learn more please see: www.planetaryaccounting.org/planetary-facts.

To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

Over the last 25 years, genetic techniques have rapidly evolved. In this episode of Scigest, scientists Blue Plunkett and Dr Revel Drummond provide a brief guide to the latest gene technologies. What is a null segregant? What is CRISPR-Cas9? How do these cutting-edge tools differ from earlier GMO technologies? Note: Since we recorded this Dame Juliet Gerrard who is mentioned in the podcast has left the role of Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor.

To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

For nearly 40 years, retiring scientist Rob Agnew has dedicated his career to logging and analysing the changing weather patterns in the Marlborough region. In this episode of Scigest, our new podcaster, Dion Mundy, sits down with Rob Agnew to explore his impactful career from his work in protecting the wine industry through meteorological trend studies, forecasting, and examining the long-term effects of climate change. Rob also shares insights from his role as the author of VineFacts, a crucial resource for wine growers since its inception in 1997. Tune in for an engaging conversation about the intersection of science and viticulture.

To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

Redback spiders have established populations in Central Otago and Taranaki, posing a threat to human health and taonga native species such as the critically endangered Cromwell chafer beetle.

We talk to Chemist Dr Andrew Twidle, who is leading the development of a pheromone tool to eradicate these invasive redback spiders, the first attempt in the world to control pest spiders using pheromones. The project is supported by Lincoln University, local iwi, and the Department of Conservation.

Find more of our biosecurity, disease, and insect science Scigest podcasts on our website: www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/biosecurity-disease-and-insect-science.

To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

Join us for the latest insights from a comprehensive global study on consumer preferences, following up on our initial Future Urban Consumer podcast from October last year. Understanding consumer attitudes is crucial when developing new food technologies and farming systems. Plant & Food Research's Future Urban Consumer programme delves into how consumers in Aotearoa New Zealand, and international markets perceive emerging food technologies and the factors influencing these perceptions. In this episode, Hilary Ireland interviews social scientist Brian Lin to explore recent findings from the research, highlighting the benefits of combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Listen to the first part of this series at http://www.plantandfood.com/article/the-future-urban-consumer, or find it in your podcast provider's Scigest list from October 13, 2023.

To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

In this episode of People | Planet | Food, Roger Robson-Williams speaks with Brendan O’Connell, Chief Executive of AgritechNZ, to discuss the role of agritech in creating a healthier, fairer, and more environmentally friendly food system. Brendan shares his perspective on what agritech is, how it can help, and how AgritechNZ supports a diverse range of businesses operating in this area. Together, they delve into the potential of agritech, the challenges of its adoption, and the potential unintended consequences if it's not used wisely. As always with People | Planet | Food, they also explore what we all can do to ensure we have healthy people living on a healthy planet and consuming nutritious food.

To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest