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Human Stories

Growing our food is a labour of love. Hear from the people who grow our food and get it to us, and learn more about what life is like for those that work in our food system.

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Breaking The Junk Food Cycle
Article Human Stories

Breaking The Junk Food Cycle

Silvia Lazzaris

Imagine if your only food options were crisps, candy, and instant pasta. While that might sound like…

The Unequal Costs of Going Organic
Article Human Stories

The Unequal Costs of Going Organic

Laura Tresso

Buying organic food can reassure consumers about the origins of their food. But the price and…

Why European Farming Faces a Demographic Crisis
Article Human Stories

Why European Farming Faces a Demographic Crisis

Lauren Lewis

With fewer young Europeans choosing to become farmers, there’s growing uncertainty about the…

A Postpartum Food Tour Around the World                                                                                      
Article Human Stories

A Postpartum Food Tour Around the World                                                          

Marieke van Schoonhoven

The “Golden Month”, “first forty days”, and “fourth trimester”; these are all ways of…

Fodder Famines in the Dairy Capital of the World
Article Human Stories

Fodder Famines in the Dairy Capital of the World

Sanket Jain

With over 300 million animals, India holds the world’s largest dairy herd, and both produces and…

Small Abattoirs are Closing Fast | Why Does That Matter?
Article Human Stories

Small Abattoirs are Closing Fast | Why Does That Matter?

Lauren Lewis

Small abattoirs are closing across Europe, leaving local farmers and homesteads with fewer places to…

Why Producing More Food Doesn’t Mean Less Hunger
Article Human Stories

Why Producing More Food Doesn’t Mean Less Hunger

Lauren Lewis

Our population hit the 8 billion mark in November 2022 and is projected to top 10 billion by 2050.…

Food Safety and Fukushima | Rebuilding Trust After a Nuclear Disaster
Article Human Stories

Food Safety and Fukushima | Rebuilding Trust After a Nuclear Disaster

Madhura Rao, Dr Makoto Takahashi

It’s been over a decade since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, but the devastation…

2023 is The International ‘Year of Millets’ | Here’s Why They Matter For Global Food Security
Article Human Stories

2023 is The International ‘Year of Millets’ | Here’s Why They Matter For Global Food Security

Sanket Jain

Indigenous millets are a nutritious and climate-resilient crop. But in India, their production is…

Cocoa, Coffee, and Cocaine: A Bitter-Sweet Future for Farmers in Colombia
Article Human Stories

Cocoa, Coffee, and Cocaine: A Bitter-Sweet Future for Farmers in Colombia

Sunny Chen

Coca, once used in the original Coca-Cola recipe in 1886, has impacted Colombia since the industry…

Regenerative Lessons From Indigenous Food Systems
Article Human Stories

Regenerative Lessons From Indigenous Food Systems

Rachel Bailleau

When European colonisers came to North America, they said they were settling in “unused” and…

When Less is More: A Portrait of No-till Farming
Article Human Stories

When Less is More: A Portrait of No-till Farming

Dr Caroline Wood

The Green Revolution in agriculture was powered by mechanisation, but our soils are now worn out…

Food Banks | Are They Beneficial to Society?
Article Human Stories

Food Banks | Are They Beneficial to Society?

Madhura Rao, Dr Alie de Boer

In most European countries, the government protects the economic and social well-being of its…

The Indian Farmers Battling Climate Change With 10,000-year-old Emmer Wheat
Article Human Stories

The Indian Farmers Battling Climate Change With 10,000-year-old Emmer Wheat

Sanket Jain

Across India, farmers have been reporting major losses due to recurring climate disasters. But the…

Food and Place | Does Where You Live Influence Your Eating Habits?
Article Human Stories

Food and Place | Does Where You Live Influence Your Eating Habits?

Luke Cridland

Where food is sold is not decided randomly, and many factors go into determining where you can buy…

Who Pays the Price of Food Inflation?
Article Human Stories

Who Pays the Price of Food Inflation?

Aran Shaunak

I don't need to tell you that we're in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. The food sector is…

Are We What Our Mothers Eat?
Article Human Stories

Are We What Our Mothers Eat?

Marieke van Schoonhoven

What happens in the womb does not stay in the womb. What a mum eats - or doesn’t eat - during…

Short Food Supply Chains: Limitations of Law
Article Human Stories

Short Food Supply Chains: Limitations of Law

Dr Mirta Alessandrini

Short food supply chains represent a great opportunity to support the shift towards more…

The Problem with Seafood Supply Chains
Article Human Stories

The Problem with Seafood Supply Chains

Jane Alice Liu, Margaux Friocourt

What are the biggest problems in our seafood supply chains? What are the driving forces behind these…

Fishing and Marine Conservation | Can We Have Both?
Article Human Stories

Fishing and Marine Conservation | Can We Have Both?

Jessica Tengvall, Jessica Fuller

When we began our careers at the interface between science and policy, one of our biggest challenges…

The First 1,000 Days
Article Human Stories

The First 1,000 Days

Marieke van Schoonhoven

How can we feed our young ones in the best possible way, and what impact do these first gulps and…

Participatory Food Cooperatives
Article Human Stories

Participatory Food Cooperatives

Fabienne Ruault

Once a month, I change hats. Normally, I'm a project manager working behind a computer. But today,…

The World Of Hunting on the West Coast of Norway | Interview
Article Human Stories

The World Of Hunting on the West Coast of Norway | Interview

Jane Alice Liu

What is the world of hunting like? I sat down with Susanne Tonheim to hear about her experience…

Eating Disorders: Rekindling Our Relationship With Food
Article Human Stories

Eating Disorders: Rekindling Our Relationship With Food

Lynn Liu

Like many who suffer from an eating disorder, mine started when I was an adolescent entering my…

Supply Chain Law | Lessons from Germany
Article Human Stories

Supply Chain Law | Lessons from Germany

Katharina Kropshofer

Germany will introduce a law obliging companies to take responsibility for what happens along their…

How Ethical Is Our European-Grown Produce?
Article Human Stories

How Ethical Is Our European-Grown Produce?

Inés Oort Alonso

Our supermarkets are brimming with Spanish produce: green beans, strawberries, aubergines,…

Ocean Transportation: What It Takes To Ship Our Food
Article Human Stories

Ocean Transportation: What It Takes To Ship Our Food

Jane Alice Liu

Ocean transportation underpins the majority of global trade, with around 80 per cent of our goods…

Expanding The Gaze Of Modern Fisheries Management
Article Human Stories

Expanding The Gaze Of Modern Fisheries Management

Oliver Fredriksson, Dr Andrea Reid

Dr Andrea Reid is a citizen of the Nisgaꞌa Nation, an Assistant Professor of Indigenous…

What does ‘local’ really mean?
Article Human Stories

What does ‘local’ really mean?

Marie Lödige

Eating local, or buying local products is becoming more and more ingrained into our everyday life.…

How A Conventional Pig Farmer Went Organic | Portrait in Germany
Article Human Stories

How A Conventional Pig Farmer Went Organic | Portrait in Germany

Ute von der Lieth, Michael Reber

Until the end of 2019, 12.9% of all agricultural businesses in Germany had farmed their land…

Regenerative Farming | Ask The Expert
Article Human Stories

Regenerative Farming | Ask The Expert

Luke Cridland

Soil plays a huge part in the life and health of a plant. It provides food, structure, and a home…

Tony’s Chocolonely: More Than Just Chocolate
Article Human Stories

Tony’s Chocolonely: More Than Just Chocolate

Jane Alice Liu, Paul Schoenmakers

Tony's Chocolonely isn't your average chocolate company. Behind each of their chocolate bars is a…

How Fairtrade Impacts the West African Cocoa Industry | Ask the Expert
Article Human Stories

How Fairtrade Impacts the West African Cocoa Industry | Ask the Expert

Marieke van Schoonhoven

Cocoa farmers are terribly underpaid in West Africa. The majority of farmers in Ghana and Côte…

Does Fairtrade Really Work?
Article Human Stories

Does Fairtrade Really Work?

Jane Alice Liu

The Fairtrade certification system was created to support and empower marginalised small-scale…

Fairtrade Certification | How Does Fairtrade Work?
Article Human Stories

Fairtrade Certification | How Does Fairtrade Work?

Jane Alice Liu

In low-income regions, small-scale agriculture is the biggest source of income, job security and…

Human Rights in the Food System | Ask the Expert
Article Human Stories

Human Rights in the Food System | Ask the Expert

Madhura Rao, Dr. Nadia Bernaz

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality,…

Imported Organic Food | Do They Meet EU Organic Standards?
Article Human Stories

Imported Organic Food | Do They Meet EU Organic Standards?

Kevin Thellmann, Michael Bregler

How much of the organic food supply in the EU is imported? Are the high European standards for…

Black Tea: The Social Cost of Assam Tea
Article Human Stories

Black Tea: The Social Cost of Assam Tea

Madhura Rao

Its deep, malty flavour makes it popular among tea connoisseurs around the world. Its status as an…

How is Vanilla Grown?
Article Human Stories

How is Vanilla Grown?

Samanta Oon

Sometimes called "the queen of spices", vanilla is commonly used for its sweet flavour and floral…

Vanilla Beans: The Cost of Production
Article Human Stories

Vanilla Beans: The Cost of Production

Samanta Oon

Vanilla is one of the most volatile spices on the global market, and as prices fluctuate between…

How Digitalisation Improves Aquaculture Management
Article Human Stories

How Digitalisation Improves Aquaculture Management

Oliver Fredriksson, Natalie Brennan

You've probably heard of forecasting in the context of weather, but it can also help modernize…

Farmed Fish | The ASC Certification Label | Buying Sustainable Aquaculture
Article Human Stories

Farmed Fish | The ASC Certification Label | Buying Sustainable Aquaculture

Jessica Tengvall

Have you ever spotted a light green ASC label on various seafood products? The ASC label manages…

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