The Chefs' Manifesto: Recent Episodes
The Chefs' Manifesto
Welcome back to the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast series 5! In this first episode, host Chef Tom Hunt interviews 3 dynamic speakers, discussing the Beans is How campaign, growing beans, and variety and flavour of beans!
This mini-season focuses on food choices – and such that are climate-friendly and healthy. We take a close look at what climate-friendly and healthy food actually IS and how it connects to the Chefs’ Manifesto’s thematic areas and the SDGs. And we’ll discuss individual choices and choices along the value chain: how do people choose what to eat, how as chefs can we influence food choices to ensure they are good for both people and planet, and how should we move forward and drive the change the world and its food systems urgently need?
In the second episode, we’ll hear from food systems expert Dr Namukolo Covic and the amazing food system vision prize winner Jian Yi from the Good Food Fund who’ve been developing visions of regenerative and nourishing food systems that they aspire to create by the year 2050. Listen in and find below Dr Covic's beautiful poem.
I am Agriculture for Nutrition and Health By Namukolo Covic, 7 Dec 2021
I’m Agriculture for Nutrition and Health. What a long name? Why such a long name? It is not just a name, there is meaning in the name You can call me A4NH, my short name A4NH? There is more meaning in Agriculture for Nutrition and Health
What work do you do, Agriculture for Nutrition and Health? I use three pathways to impact, policy, programs and value-chains. That sounds complicated, please explain I have five teams to deliver nutrition and health from agriculture Aah now I get the name, nutrition and health from agriculture!
I have a team that produces staple foods, better Better by increasing micronutrients in these foods Better, vitamin A maize, cassava and sweet potatoes Wait, there is more - Iron beans and millets And more - Zinc millets; it is Biofortification All nutrients we need more of. We can have more!
I have a team for Food Safety If it is not safe it can’t be food, they say Food is supposed to nourish, not make anyone sick More milk, safe milk; Aflsafe, no aflatoxins Informal food environments with safe foods, everywhere, is their goal
Human Health, is yet another team We need to take care, care about health plant health, animal health environmental health - One Health it is! Everything is connected and so One Health is what we need COVID-19 came, what a big lesson for everyone, everywhere We need good health at every level of food systems, everywhere
Policies and Programs to Enable Action through Research? There they are! A team worrying about policies everywhere. Policy is what governments do You want the government to do something? Under which policy? We must have a policy to tell government what to do Pass on the evidence please, so better policies can be Ooh yes better and aligned policies for better nutrition and health
Do all these fit together? That is the job of another team, Food Systems for Healthier Diets What do they do? Diet centered they say! Start with diets to inform food systems transformation Start with diets to ensure efforts are aligned Then agriculture will deliver better nutrition and health.
Wait, wait - what about the capacity for multidisciplinary perspectives? Food Systems Thinking surely needs multidisciplinary perspectives? I do that too, I teamed up with the ANH Academy! ANH what? Ooh sorry – Agriculture, Nutrition and Health Academy Capacity is their thing – conferences, learning labs, more learning labs They promote multidisciplinary and, yes food systems thinking!
My name is Agriculture for Nutrition and Health Listen... One CGIAR is coming! Just remember the lesson in me And you will do fine and even better!
This mini-season focuses on food choices – and such that are climate-friendly and healthy. We take a close look at what climate-friendly and healthy food actually IS and how it connects to the Chefs’ Manifesto’s thematic areas and the SDGs. And we’ll discuss individual choices and choices along the value chain: how do people choose what to eat, how as chefs can we influence food choices to ensure they are good for both people and planet, and how should we move forward and drive the change the world and its food systems urgently need?
The first episode looks at the topic mainly from the perspective of cooking – together with two chefs and one expert. Listen in!
This mini-season focuses on food choices – and such that are climate-friendly and healthy. We take a close look at what climate-friendly and healthy food actually IS and how it connects to the Chefs’ Manifesto’s thematic areas and the SDGs. And we’ll discuss individual choices and choices along the value chain: how do people choose what to eat, how as chefs can we influence food choices to ensure they are good for both people and planet, and how should we move forward and drive the change the world and its food systems urgently need?
In the third episode – the deepdive – host Chef Tom Hunt speaks with the incredibly talented and inspirational Chef Douglas McMaster about his journey pioneering zero-waste cooking in the UK and how that links to the topic of the season, climate-friendly healthy food choices. Listen in!
This Chefs' Manifesto Podcast Bonus Episode is the first-ever episode to be hosted in Spanish. Guided by podcast host Chef Alejandra Schrader, scientists Benedetta Gori and Mauricio Diazgranados from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, as well as Chef Jaime Rodríguez and Chef Charles Michel delve deep into the topic of biodiversity, talking about the Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project and the role of chefs in championing native ingredients on their plates and in their restaurants in the beautiful country of Colombia and beyond.
Este podcast es presentado por Plantas y Hongos Útiles de Colombia (UPFC) un proyecto liderado por el Real Jardín Botánico de Kew en colaboración con el Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt.
UPFC es apoyado por un subsidio de Desarrollo Profesional y Compromiso a través del Fondo NewtonCaldas. El subsidio es financiado por el Departamento de Negocios, Energía y Estrategia Industrial del Reino Unido (BEIS) y el Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación de Colombia (MinCiencias), e implementado por el British Council. Para más información, visite in-colombia.org www.newtonfund.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you by the Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia (UPFC) project, delivered by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in partnership with the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute.
The UPFC project is supported by a Professional Development & Engagement grant under the Newton-Caldas Fund partnership. The grant is funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Colombian Ministry of Science, technology and Innovation (MinCiencias), and delivered by the British Council. For more information, visit in-colombia.org or www.newtonfund.ac.uk.
This standalone bonus episode of the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast features a conversation between host Chef Tom Hunt and Dr. Colin Clubbe, Head of the Conservation Science Department at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. In their conversation, which was recorded back in 2019, Chef Tom and Dr. Clubbe discuss biodiversity loss and how to alleviate it from an interdisciplinary standpoint, as chefs, scientists and advocates of good food systems. In the episode, listeners will learn more about the incredible conservation work at Kew and discover some magnificent examples of closed loop systems within biodiversity conservation projects.
The last episode in this Crop Series season is all about the famous crop wheat! Pastry Chef Sahar Parham Al Awadhi from the UAE and Chef Eduardo Garcia from Mexico will share their experience using wheat in the kitchen, as well as talk about the cultural significance of wheat and bread in their parts of the world. Expert Filppo Bassi from ICARDA then joins the discussion to give more context and add a scientific perspective on wheat.
This week's episode features everything you need to know about the great crop millet! Chef Vanshika Bhatia and Chef Mokgadi Itsweng share their experiences cooking and experimenting with millets in their kitchens and make listeners fall in love with this fantastic ingredient. A discussion with Shivali Sharma from ICRISAT follows on how many sustainable benefits millets can bring to the table.
The fourth episode in this season is all about sweet potato! Given its rich nutritional content, the sweet potato is one of the most consumed crops in Africa. Chef Kiran Jethwa and Chef Yi Wen share recipes and stories about this fantastic healthy crop from their respective parts of the world. Maria Andrade from the International Potato Center then joins the discussion and reinforces the importance of sweet potato for many people and communities around the globe.
In this third episode of Chefs' Manifesto Podcast season 3, you will learn about the famous crop coffee! Chef Daniel Kaplan and Chef Aylin Yazıcıoğlu talk about how coffee is an integral part of their respective cultures but explain how it can be produced and consumed in a more sustainable and careful way along the production chain. Experts Rolando Cerda and Sarada Krishnan in the last part of the episode address the urge to act on the coffee production chain in order to produce better and in a respectful way for people and planet, and most importantly, to safeguard biodiversity. Tune in!
Episode 2 of this season focuses on sorghum, an underappreciated crop that is mainly grown in Africa. Chef Ali Mandhry, a sorghum champion, shares recipes and his passion for this crop working from his home in Mombassa, Kenya, whilst Meymuna Hussein shares her journey from East Africa to America and the importance of sorghum in her culture and cooking. Expert Eva Weltzien, pre-breeding consultant from ICRISAT wraps us up by championing the sustainable impact sorghum can have if we produce and use it as an alternative to more pollutant crops. Correction: At about 3min, it should say that sorghum stalks, not roots, are used as fuel for cooking.
Episode 1 of Chefs' Manifesto Podcast Season 3 – the Crop Series – provides insights and stories on the prolific tuber potato. The history of this crop is discussed from country-specific perspectives, with Ireland represented by Chef Janice Bracken and Peru by Chef Diego Oka. The chefs explore how to best prepare and cook potato, to preserve its nutrients, make use of its wide diversity, but also how to present them in an attractive and healthy way on the plate. Alejandro Argumedo, Andes Amazon Lead for the Swift Foundation, shares his thoughts at the end of the episode on the benefits of potato for alimentation and agriculture.
The last episode in the second Chefs' Manifesto Podcast Season is a collage of inspiring chefs' voices reflecting on the future of the hospitality industry, how chefs can stay strong and how they can build back better:
💪 Chef Peggy Chan advocates for building more resilient food systems & for creating stronger supply chains 🤝 Chef Kamilla Seidler highlights the importance of collaboration 🙌 Chef Mark Graham talks about team engagement & spirit 👉 Chef Manal Alalem highlights the particular challenges the pandemic posed for women in the Middle east, and during Ramadan 👏 Chef Suzanne Barr encourages to amplify voices of vulnerable & marginalised communities & keep the connection to food!
In the third episode of this season, Chef Tom Hunt chats with Chef JJ Johnson in NY, Chef Natalia Restrepo in Chile and Prof. Corinna Hawkes in London about the inequalities in our food systems, which have been exposed by the COVID19 crisis.
The Podcast guests highlight: 🇬🇧 The positives of food system transformation in innovation; 🇨🇴 The voices of indigenous peoples and the impacts of the pandemic in Latin America and; 🇺🇸 The #BLM Movement and neighbourhood initiatives helping those in need in NYC
In Episode 2 of the second Chefs' Manifesto Podcast season, we focus on the impacts of COVID-19 on food production from the perspective of chefs. Chef Tom Hunt chats with Brazilian Chef Bela Gil about her idea of creating a map to match farmers with consumers, with Chef Cristina Bowerman from Italy who highlights the context and effects of unexpected restaurant closures and discusses how chefs can adapt, and with UK Chef Merlin Labron Johnson who explains his restaurant's new model of customers pre-paying for their seat and menu.
In the first Episode of Chefs' Manifesto Podcast Season 2 with 'Chefs' Voices on COVID-19', Host Tom Hunt chats to Thai Chef Deepanker Khosla, Indian Chef Radhika Khandelwal and Expert David Nabarro, WHO Special Envoy on COVID-19 preparedness and response, to create an overview of what has happened over the last months and what consequences it will bring to chefs and the hospitality industry as a whole.
In the last episode of Season 1 of the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast, Chef Tom Hunt chats to South African Chef Lorna Maseko, British Chef Arthur Potts Dawson and Alyson Greenhalgh-Ball, Global Lead for Health and Wellbeing at Kellogg about how to ensure nutritious food that is accessible & affordable for all!
In this Bonus Episode of the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast with a UK-focus, Anchor Chef Tom Hunt chats with Professor Tim Lang, the UK's leading food policy expert, about how our food systems have been affected by COVID-19, about their strengths and weaknesses and about how we can support them. Listen in!
Have you always wondered what cooking in the White House is like and what former President Obama's favourite meal was? Want to learn about food tourism in Haiti? Subscribe & listen to the conversation with Barack Obama's former Chef Sam Kass about his vision for our #foodfuture & with women's advocate & tourism promoter Chef Natacha Gomez on her work in Haiti!
In Episode 7 of the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast, Host Chef Tom Hunt is speaking with Chef Chantelle Nicholson, Chef Megha Kohli and Chef David Johansson about the importance of championing plant-based ingredients and about making vegetables, beans or pulses the centre of your dishes!
This episode of the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast celebrates local and seasonal ingredients through chats with Chef Leonilda 'Nuqy' Ximenes and Alva Lim from East Timor and British Chefs India Hamilton and Oliver Rowe. Listen in to learn more!
In Episode 5 of the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast, Anchor Chef Tom Hunt is talking to #zerowaste champions Chef Justin Horne, Chef Mary Sue Milliken and Chef Conor Spacey about tips and tricks how to reduce waste in the kitchen and about how to value natural resources.
Episode 4 of the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast is dedicated to the Manifesto’s thematic area 3: "Investment in Livelihoods"! Get inspired by chef action in Nigeria, Senegal & Kenya from Chef Michael Elegbede, Chef Pierre Thiam & Chef Ali Mandhry.
In Episode 3 of the Chefs' Manifesto podcast, Chef Tom Hunt talks to Fabrice DeClerck, Science Director at EAT, Dorothy Shaver, Global Sustainability Lead at Knorr, Chef Erik Oberholtzer and Chef Lerato Sitole about the importance of biodiversity and the protection of animal welfare.
In the second episode of the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast, learn about: – The climate-smart grain 'Millet' from Indian Chef Anahita Dhondy – How to 'Grow It Yourself' with vegetable grower Mike Kelly – Ayurvedic Cooking with Chef Manjit Gill – Chef action in Peru with Chef Palmiro Ocampo
In this bonus track, Anchor Chef Tom Hunt is chatting with Chef Arthur Potts Dawson about the beginning of the Chefs' Manifesto – a diverse network of 600+ chefs from over 70 countries, all driving progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in their communities.
In the first episode of the Chefs' Manifesto Podcast, Anchor Chef Tom Hunt is chatting to Gerda Verburg, UN Assistant Secretary General & Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, Theo DeJager, President of the World Farmers Organisation and Paul Newnham, Director of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub, setting the stage for the 8 episodes to come!
This podcast series is a channel and resource for chefs to learn and share stories of their action on sustainable development tied to the UN SDGs.
The first series is hosted by Chef Tom Hunt and features a total of 9 episodes, each consisting of Chef-to-Chef conversations bookended with contributions, quotes and stories from experts.
Make sure to check back in soon to find out more!