How do we eat?, the podcast of the Spanish ‘Think Tank’ Alimentta that guides towards sustainable food

The need to generate expert and rigorous knowledge that can guide us towards the food transition motivated us to promote the creation of Alimentta, a think tank made up of a multidisciplinary group of experts with the aim of generating knowledge that favours the transition towards a sustainable, fairer and more resilient food system for both ecosystems and people.

Alimentta’s field of action focuses on four fundamental pillars such as a healthy and environmentally friendly diet, food production and extraction methods, Local Food Systems based on Agroecology (SALbA) and the development of a favorable governance model.

At the Foundation we have learned, together with the best, that it is necessary to approach food from a holistic perspective and always taking into account the factors, and consequences, of the decisions we make around it, from production and its impact on our ecosystem: global warming, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, social inequalities or the prevalence of diseases.

For this reason, the Alimentta think tank is made up of experts in disciplines that until now have been distant, although complementary, that allow the food chain to be covered: agroecology, sustainable agri-food systems, medicine, nutrition, sociology of food, climate change and agriculture, marine resources and ecosystem conservation, marine socio-ecological systems and public policies. With this diversity of areas, complementary points of view are offered that allow a global vision of the different paths towards the food transition and knowledge can be contrasted by adding rigor to the information produced and disseminated.

Since 2018, Alimentta has been disseminating information on healthy food, helping in the development of an ecological mode of production (grazing livestock, fishing methods that conserve ecosystems, use of technologies adapted to needs), advising territorial and social agents to extend this model of production, distribution and consumption and collaborating in the development of public policies that allow a political framework, economic and legal support for the transition to a low-impact food system.

The experts who make up Alimentta have published several relevant studies that have resulted in reports such as The sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture in the Spanish agri-food system (2019) in which the contribution of “fishery products” to the sustainability of the Spanish agri-food system, A Lesson Poorly Learned: Human Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Pesticides and Their Health Consequences (2019), Following traces of skipjack tuna in the food system (2021) describing the process of capturing, processing and marketing tuna, or The carbon footprint of the hake agri-food chain in Spain (2021).

Accessible information

To try to make visible the problems of the current food system and with the aim of providing solutions, in 2021 Alimentta opted to use a language in line with the times we live in and launched the podcast How do we eat? with the firm purpose of reaching a wider audience. Available on Spotify, experts in various fields such as climate, health, food, agroecology and the environment participate in each of the six chapters to address issues such as the impact of what is consumed, how food is produced. In addition, data on eating habits are provided that demonstrate the move away from the traditional Mediterranean diet.

The first season of this newly created space had six chapters and addressed topics such as the role of fishing or grazing livestock, how food production can slow down climate change or how to minimize the chemical waste we ingest through food. In each chapter and with the help of experts in each field, the Alimentta team has reflected on issues related to food production and the impact of what we eat.

The good reception that these conversations have had on the platform has led them to continue with a second season of eight episodes in which they continue to propose solutions that guide on the path to more sustainable food. In this new season, a voice is given to those women who are dedicated to fishing and work to make their contribution to this activity visible or an issue as worrying as the intake of ultra-processed foods above the recommended amounts and how this affects health is addressed.

A panel of experts also discusses the materials used in the manufacture of food packaging, delving into their problems and proposing possible solutions, how family farming generates employment and provides environmental services, as well as delving into previously discussed topics such as Local Food Systems with an Agroecological Base, with the participation of Subbética Ecológica as a success story.

Alimentta’s podcasts are an accessible way to raise awareness among both agents and consumers about the impact of our food decisions, helping to generate the change we need to make the necessary transition to more sustainable food systems that respect people and ecosystems effective. We will continue to accompany this group of experts in the creation of rigorous and accessible academic knowledge, which will serve as a guide to achieve a more resilient and fair food system.

How Do We Eat?: Season 2