Matt Eastland and Lukxmi Balathasan present the Food Fight, a new series from EIT Food examining the biggest challenges facing the food system, and the innovations and entrepreneurs looking to solve them.

The Food Fight

The Big Takeaway Season Five

Our host, Matt Eastland, reflects on the highlights of Season 5 of The Food Fight Podcast, from discussions on farming roots to regenerative agriculture and sustainability innovations. Explore the world of automated pizza robots and the art of tasting Kraft chocolate with a flavour expert, and don’t miss our interview with ex-Love Islander and TikTok influencer Farmer Will Young. Meet EIT Food’s new CEO, Richard Zaltzman, and celebrate the entrepreneurs and technologies shaping a better food future.

Revolutionising Regenerative Agriculture With Wildfarmed

Inspired by Andy Cato's awakening to agriculture's impact, Wildfarmed adopts practices like crop diversity and minimal chemical usage, promising environmental sustainability and profitability. Join co-founder Edd Lees and The Food Fight Podcast’s host Matt Eastland as they dive into regenerative farming's potential to reshape agriculture.

Unveiling the Cellular Wellness Solution with Dr. Bill Rawls

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Food Fight podcast, where Dr. Bill Rawls, author of "Unlocking Lyme” and “The Cellular Wellness Solution", shares his journey of overcoming chronic illness using food and plants. After facing the limitations of modern medicine, Dr. Rawls delved into alternative treatments and discovered a path to wellness. Join our host, Matt Eastland, as we explore the impact of dietary choices and the potential of using natural remedies to address chronic health issues.

WE Lead Food: Championing Women's Leadership in the Food System

To mark International Women's Day (IWD), The Food Fight podcast host Matt Eastland welcomes Dr. Shima Barakat and Dr. Maarten van der Kamp for a timely conversation on gender equality and women leadership within the food industry. With the 2024 IWD theme being "Inspire Inclusion,” join Matt, Shima, and Maarten to celebrate the fifth anniversary of WE Lead Food – a training programme and network to support women leaders and entrepreneurs in the food sector.

Crafting a Chocolate Revolution: Sustainability, Ethics, and Flavour in the Chocolate Industry

In this episode of the Food Fight podcast, Matt Eastland delves into the world of chocolate and its sustainability issues. The European chocolate market, valued at 42 billion euros in 2022, is growing rapidly. Spencer Hyman, co-founder of Cocoa Runners, shares insights on craft chocolate and ethical production practices. As consumers question the environmental impact of chocolate, the discussion explores how to enjoy chocolate sustainably.

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Regenerating the food system: a conversation with EIT Food CEO, Richard Zaltzman

In this episode of the Food Fight podcast, host Matt Eastland is joined by EIT Food’s new CEO, Richard Zaltzman. At the heart of Richard’s approach is the concept of regenerative leadership, which can create the culture for tackling systemic issues within the food system. In a wide-ranging conversation, Richard describes his personal journey to agrifood leadership and what he views as the biggest challenges in the food system. Looking to the future, he discusses transformative ideas and novel business models, and how everybody can be part of this journey.

Harnessing the Power of Online Communities How Sorted Food is Improving the Food System

In this episode of the Food Fight podcast, host Matt Eastland welcomes back Ben Ebbrell, co-founder of Sorted Food, to discuss the importance of online food communities and their role in improving our food. They explore how social media can serve as a source of consumer and product insights, and how AI software can be used to harness these insights and create better food products. Tune in to learn more about the potential of harnessing online communities' power to improve our food.

Unpacking the Pitfalls and Promises of Food Robotics and Automation

In this episode of the Food Fight podcast, host Matt Eastland explores the world of robotics and automation in the food industry. Joined by Jonah Bliss, founder of Curbivore and writer for OttoMate, they discuss the benefits and challenges of incorporating robots into the food industry. From robot deliveries to automated vending machines, they delve into the exciting possibilities and the impact on the future of food.

Catalysing Climate Action

In this episode of the Food Fight podcast, host Matt Eastland explores the intersection of food systems and climate change. He highlights the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) and how food finally took centre stage as a solution to the climate crisis. With food and agriculture responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, the conference dedicated a full day to address these issues. Special guest Dhanush Dinesh, Chief Climate Catalyst at Clim-Eat, joins the conversation to share insights on food systems transformation under climate change and creating a more sustainable and equitable future.

Unveiling the Secrets of a Food Futurist

Matt Eastland welcomes author, speaker, and food futurist Tony Hunter to discuss the future of food. With the current challenges in our food system, such as feeding a growing population and adapting to climate change, Tony provides insights and cutting-edge research on how we can sustainably address these issues. Drawing on his three decades of experience in the food industry, Tony emphasises the potential of agri-food tech to offer solutions for feeding the global population in a healthy and sustainable way. Tune in to gain a roadmap into the future of food and discover the opportunities that lie ahead.

Sowing Seeds of Change: Green Our Planet's Mission to Transform School Gardens

In this episode of the Food Fight podcast, host Matt Eastland speaks with Ciara Byrne, founder and co-CEO of Green Our Planet. They talk about the importance of involving young people in growing their own produce and how to increase access to fresh and healthy food for everyone. Tune in to learn more about empowering students to cultivate their own food, and don't miss the exciting opportunity for schools to participate in the Garden Connect program for free, thanks to a generous giveaway from Green Our Planet.

Food Foresight: the food trends in 2024 that will shape the future

As we move into 2024, a dynamic blend of food trends and cutting-edge technologies are changing how we eat. Join Matt Eastland, along side Ben Ebbrell (Co-founder of Sorted Foods) and Matthew Kessler ('The Feed' podcast host), as they explore the potential impact of these changes on how we perceive, create, and enjoy food throughout this year and beyond.

Harnessing Algorithms for Stress-Free Eating Choices

In this episode of the Food Fight podcast, hosts Matt Eastland and his guests, Fleur Passmann and Hein van Es from Verdify, discuss the importance of personalised nutrition and recipe plans. Fleur, who is not only the COO of Verdify but also a registered clinical dietitian, explains why tailored nutrition is crucial for individuals. They delve into the challenges of creating personalized nutrition plans and recipes and how AI technology can revolutionise the process.

Decoding Food Product Sustainability

In this episode of the Food Fight podcast, hosts Matt Eastland and Lucy Wallace explore the topic of measuring sustainability in the food industry. They are joined by Ethan Solovyev, the Chief Innovation Officer at HowGood, a research company with a comprehensive database on food product sustainability.

The Hidden Weak Spots in Our Food Waste Epidemic

In this episode of the Food Fight podcast, hosts Matt Eastland and Lucy Wallace explore the issue of food waste and the challenges within the food supply chain. They are joined by Antony Yousefian today, Vice President of Climate and Circularity at Wiliot, who explores the staggering statistic that over a third of the food we produce never reaches our plates, amounting to more than 1 billion tons of wasted food globally each year.

Will Young: The Realities of Farm Life and the Importance of Young Farmers

Welcome to a new Season of the Food Fight podcast! In this episode, our host Matt Eastland welcomes farmer and influencer Will Young. Will, known for his adventures on Love Island and the popular TikTok account @FarmerWill, discusses the shortage of young people choosing farming as a career and the importance of encouraging more young farmers. He shares his experiences as a sheep farmer in Buckinghamshire and how he uses his platform to educate others about farm life. Tune in to hear why Will believes farming is a vital profession for the future.

SNV: Addressing the Challenges of Climate Change through Sustainable Food and Water Systems

In this mini episode of the Food Fight Podcast, Julius Rono, project manager at SNV in Kenya, discusses the efforts being made to improve water and food systems across the globe in preparation for COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference. SNV is a global development organisation focused on lifting rural communities out of poverty and building resilience against climate change. Rono highlights the challenges of degraded land and shrinking water sources, emphasising the importance of sustainable management of food and water systems in cooling the earth.

FOLU & The Role of Food and Land Use Coalition at COP28

In this mini-episode of the Food Fight Podcast, we talk to Katie McCoshan, Policy and International Engagement Manager at the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU). Katie discusses the importance of food systems and how they will be a key topic at COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference. FOLU aims to transform food systems by addressing issues of climate change, environment, nutrition, health, and farmer livelihoods.

FoodBanks: Collaboration and Innovation for Lasting Food System Change

In this mini-episode of the Food Fight Podcast, Ignacio Gavilan, Senior Director of Food Systems Partnerships at the Global Food Banking Network, discusses the urgent need to address the broken food systems that are leaving millions of people without access to food. Gavilan highlights the staggering amount of food that is lost or wasted, accounting for approximately one-third of global greenhouse gas emission

The Power of Youth Engagement in Climate Change: Insights from YPARD

In this mini-episode of the Food Fight Podcast, Glindys Virginia Luciano, the Strategic Network Engagement Manager at the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPard), discusses the important role that young professionals play in building healthy and equitable food systems. YPard is a youth-led organisation that provides a platform for young professionals interested in food systems to network, do policy work, and elevate their voices.

Mosa Meat & Climate Resilience Through Protein Diversification

In this mini-episode of the Food Fight podcast, we talk to Robert E. Jones, Vice President of Global Public Affairs for Mosa Meat and President of Cellular Agriculture Europe. With the global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050 and meat consumption expected to rise, the traditional methods of meat production are unsustainable. Jones us through the need for innovative solutions like cultivated meat to meet the growing demand while minimising environmental impact.

The role of youth in transforming the food system

It’s been over a year since our FutureFoodMakers released their #MenuForChange - six clear action points the sector needs to address for a sustainable food system. For the last episode of series 4, we checked in with Júlia Montoliu and Chloé Dorin (two of our youth food system representatives) to hear about their journey so far and plans for prompting a positive change in our food system. Stay tuned for Series 5 coming soon!

Healthy soil, healthy people

Owner of Grand Farm and Vermigrand, Alfred Grand, talks to us about the importance of soil health and how his companies employ earth worms to regenerate soils.

Upcycling fruit pits to cut food waste

Luca Fichtinger, Co-Founder of Kern Tec, highlights the huge opportunity in the food industry for repurposing wasted side streams, and explains how his startup is creating novel products from surplus fruit pits.

AI-infused recipes with a personal twist

Jochem Bossenbroek, CEO of Verdify, highlights the role that artificial intelligence can play in personalised nutrition – enabling people to make better food choices.

Circular coffee – can we make coffee sustainable?

Coffee is close to many people’s hearts, but the coffee industry needs fixing. Deforestation, water scarcity and poverty are among the issues associated with coffee’s global supply chain. This poses the question: can we reinvent our coffee production processes to make them totally circular? To discuss the future of coffee – and positive changes already happening – Matt is joined by Kane Statton (Head of Coffee at Kiss The Hippo) and Juan Medina (CEO & Co-Founder of Kaffe Bueno).

Tackling root issues in vertical farming

HAI TECH LTD is developing a solution for monitoring the health of crop roots in vertical farms. The technology could help farmers to reduce wastage, predict crop yields and increase profitability within this emerging sector of agriculture. To find out more, EIT Food’s Matt Eastland is joined by HAI TECH LTD’s Diego Corona, Andrea Izquierdo and Vasileios Tsormpatzoudis.

Investing in a fairer food system

Stefan Wilhelm of the Bayer Foundation and Lisa Jordan from the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation join EIT Food’s Matt Eastland, following the EVPA Annual conference in Brussels. They discuss how food system solutions are supported by a range of philanthropic finance mechanisms, and the opportunities to invest in positive change.

Designing the reusable packaging of tomorrow

Can Lewandowski, Co-founder of Crafting Futures, talks to us about the issue of single-use plastics and how his company is attempting to change consumer habits through systems change and material science innovations.

Plastic-eating larvae

Nathalie Berezina, Founder and CEO of Norbite, describes their unique approach of turning plastic waste into sustainable goods with their insect-based biorefinery.

The sustainable insect revolution

Marc Bolard, Co-Founder of Nasekomo, highlights how using sustainably farmed insects across our food system, could be an efficient way of solving the worlds protein dependency.

Whats on the menu? Food Trends for 2023

It’s that time of the year again! Matt is back with Ed Bergen (Senior Analyst for Food & Nutrition at FutureBridge) and Sam Newman (Senior Enterprise Account Executive and ‘Chief Cheese Officer’ at TasteWise) looking back on the past year to predict the trends we can expect to see in our food system throughout 2023 and beyond.

The impact of grocery shopping

Hélène Saurais, Co-founder and Head of Marketing at Inoqo, highlights the environmental issues of grocery shopping and how they have created a solution to help retailers measure the impact of their products.

On the breadline - tips for saving money on food

Matt is joined by TikTok Chef MealsbyMitch, and Head of Customer Relation and Business Development at Gander, Stacey Williams, who are sharing all their grocery saving tips so you can keep your bills low and stomachs full.

Predictive technology - a solution for water scarcity?

Antonella Maggioni, Co-Founder and CEO at Agrow Analytics, highlights the global issue of water scarcity and how they designed a solution to optimise farming productivity and help farmers monitor their water use.

How can we stop wasting fish?

Both fish farms and wild capture fisheries understand the importance of sustainable production, but will it ever be possible to have a fully circular system where we use 100% of the fish we catch or farm? Thor Sigfusson (Founder and Chairman of Iceland Ocean Cluster) and Emil Linfors (Aquaculture Innovation Researcher at the University of Norway) highlight the issue of waste in aquaculture and provide insight into how we could fix our production methods to utilise all of our unwanted fish.

Sky's the limit for urban farming

Jens Juul Krogshede, CEO and Co-Founder of Nabofarms, highlights how city centres can be used to grow fresh and sustainable crops to feed local communities.

Is algae the new superfood?

As our population grows, innovators are turning their attention to sustainable ways of feeding the world. One new solution emerging is Algae! But could this micro plant be the answer our food system is looking for? Isaac Berzin, the Founder and Chief Technology Officer of VAXA, and David Bassett, the Secretary General for the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform, join Matt Eastland to discuss this unloved material and the impact it could have on our planet.

Breeding better plants

Sebastian Schultheiss, Managing Director of Computomics, teaches us all about plant breeding and how they are streamlining the industry with their new hybrid plant prediction technology.

Responsible fishing - are we in too deep?

Is there an urgent need for us to look at fish farming with fresh eyes and fresh ideas? Matt Eastland is joined by Dan Watson (CEO and Co-Founder of SafetyNet Technologies) and Tony Chen (CEO and Co-Founder of Manolin) to discuss whether the fishing industry needs change and how their new technologies are helping usher in a new era of responsible farming.

Reading between the wines: the art of viticulture

Sushma Shankar, Co-Founder of Deep Planet, discusses vineyard care and how their new technology is helping to increase sustainability at the farm level.

The Future of Food: Skills for the future

After a busy summer, The Food Fight Podcast is back! In June 2022, EIT Food held the Future of Food conference in Brussels. In today’s episode, we will be hearing pitches from the conference by talented young Europeans involved in the Skills4TheFuture Project, which is empowering youth entrepreneurs to innovate in the agrifood sector and to develop solutions for a future-fit food system

The Big Takeaway Series 3

It’s that time again! Matt is back with another Big Takeaway Episode, picking out some of the standout moments in Series 3 from food loss and regenerative agriculture, to protein diversification and tackling inequality in the food system.

Spotlight: The Consumer Trust Grand Challenge

Richard Bennett, Activity Leader for the EIT Food Consumer Trust Grand Challenge, highlights how they are developing new initiates to increase consumer trust throughout the food system.

Spotlight: TRACOD on fresh fish transparency

Dov Dori, Co-ordinator of the TRACOD Project, highlights how they are improving trust and transparency in the food system with their technology that identifies species of fish.

Spotlight: uFraction8 on biotechnology

Monika Tomecka, Founder and Director of uFraction8, highlights how they are optimising biotech processes with their scalable and high yield filtration systems for bio manufactures.

High Steaks: will cultured meat save the planet?

Curious about cultured meat? In this episode, Matt is joined by Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms, and Seren Kell, Science and Technology Manager at the Good Food Institute, to discuss farming cells rather than animals, and the important role of cultured meat as a climate solution.

Spotlight: Glucanova on nutritious, sustainable food concepts

Ana Rascón, CEO at Glucanova, highlights how their technology is creating liquid oat products which are high in fibre, sustainable and nutritious.

Emerging trends in the food system: 2022 and beyond

In this special episode, Matt is joined by Ed Bergen, a Senior Analyst at FutureBridge, to discuss predictions for the food system in 2022 and the emerging trends which we can expect to see in the sector.

Spotlight: Phytolon on natural food colours

Tal Zeltzer, Co-founder and CTO of Phytolon, describes their technology which is producing sustainable, high-quality natural food colours

Making better choices: how to achieve the ideal diet

The modern western diet is making us and our planet sick. Matt and Lukxmi are joined by Dr. Gunhild Stordalen, founder and executive chair of the EAT Forum, and Anjli Vyas, food and impact lead at Planet Nourish, to discuss where it all went wrong and what an ideal diet looks like for all of us.

The future of food with EIT Foods FutureFoodMakers

Join Matt backstage at the Future of Food conference where he gets the lowdown from EIT Food FutureFoodMakers Sasha Cohen Ioannides, Chloé Dorin and Emilija Oreščanin. Find out their thoughts on future-proofing the food system and how they developed the highly anticipated Menu for Change.

Naturally Meaty Meat Alternatives

How do we convince people to switch from steak to healthier, more sustainable meat alternatives? Could the answer be a meatier taste and texture? Matt Eastland is joined by author and podcaster Paul Shapiro (CEO of The Better Meat Co.) and biologist and food entrepreneur Alison Stille (Co-founder and CEO of Walding Foods) to get their thoughts on the alternative meat market and how the industry can influence further change.

Spotlight: OneThird on predicting food shelf life

Marco Snikkers, CEO and Founder of OneThird, describes how they are preventing food waste with their AI scanner which can determine the true shelf life of fresh produce.

UNFSS ‘Good Food For All’ Competition Winners: Part 2

Matt is joined by EIT Food’s Strategic Relationship Manager, Barbaros Corekoglu, to celebrate the small business entrepreneurs who are transforming their food systems for a better tomorrow. These innovators are all winners of the recent UN Food Systems Summit ‘Good Food For All’ competition. In part 2, you will hear about farming and agricultural innovations including solar powered cold rooms, pay as you use solar energy for farmers, saltwater-based agriculture and super chickpeas.

Spotlight: Pure Algae on sustainable seaweed cultivation and carbon capture

Esben Christiansen, CEO and Founder of Pure Algae, highlights how they using their technology to add value to land-based aquaculture systems

Tackling food inequality: nourishing the body, nourishing the brain and supporting society

What do we need to do to stop food inequality, and ensure everyone everywhere has access to nutritious food? Matt is joined by Co-ordinator of the Scaling up Nutrition Movement (SUN Movement), Gerda Verburg and Senior Regional Project Manager from Feedback Global, Lucy Antal. They discuss food poverty, how it is interconnected with sustainable development, and how we all have a role to play in preventing people from going to bed hungry.

Spotlight: SuSea on reducing seafood waste

Mark Chryssolouris, CEO at SuSea, highlights their technology to reduce food waste which is increasing the shelf life of seafood

Food loss in farming: the invisible threat to sustainability

Around 40% of the food we grow goes uneaten. This is one of the findings from the “Driven to Waste” report published by the World Wildlife Fund and Tesco. So what can we do to reduce the huge amounts of food loss occurring before it reaches our supermarket shelves, and limit the environmental impact of agriculture? Pete Pearson, a senior Food Waste director at WWF joins Matt to discuss the findings of the new report, that uses data to quantify and highlight loss occurring in the supply chain. He is also joined by Emilie Vanpoperinghe, the Co-Founder of Oddbox a food waste startup delivering wonky fruit and vegetables from farmers to consumers across the UK.

Spotlight: Soil Capital on carbon payments for regenerative agriculture

Soil Capital’s Andrew Voysey describes Europe’s first certified carbon payment programme for farmers, which places value on the way food is produced by rewarding regenerative practices.

Using tech to farm better: how new technology is speeding up the transition to sustainable, regenerative agriculture

Do farmers have a taste for tech? In this episode, Matt is joined by Will Wells (Founder of Hummingbird Technologies) and Marina Martin Curran (Sustainability Manager at Vivent) to discuss the role of new technologies in agriculture, and how these innovations are being adopted by farmers.

Spotlight: Farmforce on improving agriculture value chains

Anne Jorun Aas, CEO of Farmforce, describes how they are turning data into tools for the agriculture value chain - securing sustainable sourcing, protecting the environment and improving farmer quality of life.

Regenerative agriculture: starting out

What are the steps for creating a regenerative farm? Matt is joined by Farmer and Founding Director of the Sustainable Food Trust, Patrick Holden, and Agriculture Project Manager at EIT Food, Philip Fernández, to discuss regenerative agriculture. If you are interested in improving soil health and increasing biodiversity through sustainable food production, then this podcast is for you.

Spotlight: Marine Feed on sustainable aquaculture solutions for the fish feed industry

Marine Biologist and founder of Marine Feed, Fredrik Norén, highlights how they are developing sustainable products from the sea squirt using a low-carbon, zero waste production system.

UNFSS ‘Good Food For All’ Competition Winners: Part 1

Matt is joined by EIT Food’s Strategic Relationship Manager, Barbaros Corekoglu, to celebrate the small business entrepreneurs who are transforming their food systems for a better tomorrow. These innovators are all winners of the recent UN Food Systems Summit ‘Good Food For All’ competition. In part 1, you will hear about farming and agricultural innovations including weed killing toothpicks, aerial precision-spraying drones and agricultural technologies which connect smallholder communities with consumers.

Spotlight: DryGro on the future of water lentils

Sean Peters introduces DryGro – a company innovating in the alternative protein space, using water lentils to develop a food innovation solution for animal and human consumption. He describes how water lentils can be grown in enclosed manufacturing environments which require less water compared to traditional crops, offering a sustainable future farming technology.

Spotlight: Durrow Mills on sprouted flour

Lisa Larkin, CEO and Founder of Durrow Mills, explains how they are fighting back against processed bread with their nutrient dense, gut-friendly sprouted flour.

Spotlight: SatAgro on satellite data

Stefan Jozefowicz, Project lead at SatAgro, highlights how they are using satellite data to improve processes across agriculture.

Spotlight: DouxMatok on reducing sugar

Ari Melamud CEO of RisingFoodStar DouxMatok, explains how their unique technology uses sugar to reduce sugar

Spotlight: RootWave on zapping weeds

RootWave CEO, Andy Diprose, highlights new technology which uses electricity instead of chemical herbicides to kill weeds in a sustainable way.

Addressing gender bias: how to build an equitable food system

Gender equity is better for business - so why do gender barriers still exist? How do we ensure we are designing a fair and equitable future for us all? To better understand the challenges and experiences of women in the agrifood industry, EIT Food commissioned a report on the state of gender bias. In this episode, Matt and Lukxmi are joined by entrepreneur Karen Karp (President of KK&P) and investor George Coelho (Co-Founder and Partner of Astanor) to break down the research and kickstart discussions around how we can make positive changes.

Spotlight: Faromatics on robotic farming

CEO of Faromatics, Heiner Lehr, highlights how they are using their ‘ChickenBoy’ robot to help livestock farmers increase both animal welfare and farm productivity.

Spotlight: Thor Ice on preserving food quality

CEO of Thor Ice, Thorsteinn Víglundsson, highlights how they are increasing food safety by reducing bacteria growth with their advanced fresh food chilling systems.

Spotlight: Menutech on allergen clarity

Co-founder and CEO of Menutech, Laure Joumier, highlights how they are using technology to simplify allergy-friendly menu preparation for the hospitality sector

Spotlight: NutriLeads on health nutrition

Erik Dam, CEO at NutriLeads, highlights how they are developing crop-derived food ingredients with clinically proven health benefits

Spotlight: Essento on snackable insects

Founder and CEO of Essento, Christian Bärtsch, highlights how they are developing tasty and sustainable food products made from farmed insects.

Should Nutrition be a fundamental part of Healthcare?

Registered nutritionist Hannah Baugh and Doctor Margherita Ronco join Matt and Lukxmi to discuss whether GP’s are getting enough training and education on nutrition and whether there is more that can be done. This episode is brought to you in partnership with the new EIT Food online course on Nutrition for Health and Sustainability, which aims to bridge this skills gap for medical students.

Spotlight: Better Nature on the potential of tempeh

Christopher Kong, Co-Founder and Head of Business Development at Better Nature, highlights how they are leveraging an ancient fermentation process to create a minimally processed, protein and fibre rich meat-free alternative, without compromising the taste.

Are alternative proteins healthy?

As more people look beyond meat and dairy, we have seen a boom in the alternative protein market - but what are the new options available to us and are they actually healthy? Dr. Simone Frey (Founder and Managing Director of NUTRITION HUB) and Josephine Quist (Founder and CEO of Nutrilution) join Matt and Lukxmi to talk about alternative proteins, plant-based foods and what these new opportunities mean for our health.

Spotlight: Probitat on friendly bacteria food designs

Founder and CEO of Probitat, Carme Plumed-Ferrer, highlights how they are developing gut friendly fermented plant-based products to help people live a healthier life.

The Microbiome & Healthy Guts

The microbiome - a word growing in popularity - but how does it affect our gut health and what is its impact on our overall wellbeing? To discuss the topic, Matt and Lukxmi are joined by ‘The Gut Stuff’ founder Lisa Macfarlane, one of the two Mac Twin DJ’s, who traded in her decks to build the UK’s first e-commerce online shop for gut health; and Anthony Finbow, CEO of Eagle Genomics, a startup that develops enterprise platform solutions addressing complex microbiome and genomics data for clients in healthcare, personal care and agritech sectors.

Spotlight: Vegshelf on plant-based food availability

Co-founder and CEO of Vegshelf, Baiba Soika, highlights how they helping plant-based CPG’s get in front of food retailers with their online B2B platform.

Getting personal with nutrition

Next big thing in health? Matt and Lukxmi are joined by Emma Ek (Product Manager at the startup BeYou) and Thomas Hayes (Research Analyst at Lux Research) to talk about the future of personalised nutrition and whether technology is simplifying – or overcomplicating - the proven methods of staying healthy.

EIT Food: the power of an innovation community

Lukxmi sits down with Stella Spanou, who is in charge of fundraising at The University of Aarhus, to discuss the relationship between EIT Food and Aarhus and the benefits of the EIT Food community for agrifood startups and scaleups.

The Big Takeaway Series 2

Matt and Lukxmi are back with another big takeaway episode, where they reflect on some of the stand out moments from series 2. From extreme places to grow food, to what makes an entrepreneur, they look back on the unusual year and celebrate the purpose-driven agrifood heroes they met.

Spotlight: Vaxa on microalgae

Isaac Berzin, CTO of Vaxa, highlights how they are converting clean energy to sustainable food by farming omega-3 rich microalgae.

Spotlight: ScanTrust on reconnecting with consumers

Ricardo Garcia, Head of Partnerships and Blockchain Advisory at ScanTrust, highlights how they are helping brands regain trust with consumers through QR code technology.

Spotlight: Connecting Food on blockchain transparency in the food system

Maxine Roper, Co-Founder of Connecting Food, highlights why transparency in our food chain is so important for both consumers and brands.

Forecasting the future: the biggest agrifood trends for 2021

This week Matt and Lukxmi peer into their crystal ball to predict the big trends and innovations to hit the agrifood sector in the upcoming year. They’re joined by Edward Bergen from Mintel – an expert Food and Drink Analyst – who presents findings from Mintel’s latest research, alongside Annick Verween who lifts the lid on some exciting projects and trends that are emerging from within EIT Food’s RisingFoodStars community of startups and scale-ups.

Spotlight: Porphyrio on poultry data management

Kristof Mertens, Managing Director and Co-founder of Porphyrio, highlights how they are improving poultry farming with their cloud-based data management system.

The impact of Covid-19 on consumer food habits and the agrifood sector

Matt and Lukxmi are joined by consumer scientist Klaus Grunert from Aarhus University, who shares results from a recent study looking at the intriguing ways the pandemic has changed our eating habits. And Brij Sahi from SwissDeCode explains how his startup has pivoted in response to the pandemic to produce rapid DNA testing solutions to detect Covid-19 in food manufacturing units.

Spotlight: BeYou on digital health

Abir Mehawej, Director and Co-Founder of BeYou, highlights how they are shaping the future of digital health with their personalised wellness platform.

Bridging the skills gap

Are we doing enough to attract new talent and skills into the agrifood industry? Matt and Lukxmi are joined by Carl Edwards, Director Education & Public Engagement at LEAF (Linking Environment & Farming), serial entrepreneur Ykä Marjanen (Grainsense/Manna Insect), and EIT Food’s Professional Development Lead Barbara Mason, to discuss strategies for attracting more people into the exciting world of food and technology. Recorded as part of New Scientist Live’s Future of Food and Agriculture day.

Spotlight: AgriFoodX on plastic alternatives

Graham Bonwick, Director of AgriFoodX, highlights how they are protecting the environment with their sustainable and biodegradable plastic alternatives made from agrifood by-products.

Childhood nutrition and health: are we doing enough?

Dr Natalie Masento from University of Reading and Sarah Hickey from Guy's and St Thomas’ Charity join Matt and Lukxmi to discuss the current state of childhood nutrition in the UK and globally. They explore the impact of “food environments” and how physical and emotional surroundings can play a role in building positive habits. Natalie introduces 'See and Eat!’, a series of eBooks developed to get children interested in vegetables – and Sarah also shares how Guy's and St Thomas’ Charity is working with partners to reduce childhood obesity in London.

Spotlight: Eagle Genomics on data science

Anthony Finbow, Chief Executive at Eagle Genomics, highlights how they are using data, technology and science to further understand the health and environmental impact of microbiomes.

Spotlight: Freeze-em on insect farming

Yuval Gilad, Co-founder and CEO of Freeze-em, highlights the benefits of the black soldier fly and how their freezing technology is helping to grow the industry of insect protein production.

From seed to scale: the journey of an agrifood entrepreneur

Matt and Lukxmi meet three entrepreneurs from different EIT Food Business Creation programmes. Ying Shao, shares the story of Plantik Biosciences – a startup looking into new advancements into plant breeding. Lorenzo Conti introduces his company Crover, who have developed a robotic grain monitoring system. And Solveiga Pakštaitė talks about her journey as inventor of “Mimica Touch”, a product revolutionising smart food packaging.

Spotlight: Trellis on food production efficiency

Head of Product at Trellis, Uri Rosenzweig, highlights how their AI technology makes data more transparent and accessible for the entire food supply chain.

Insects in the food system: novelty or necessity?

This week bugs are on the table, as Matt and Lukxmi meet two entrepreneurs serving up insects in the hunt for alternative protein sources. Philipp Egli introduces Crick – a Swiss company producing crackers made from crickets – and Miha Pipan explains how his company, Better Origin, are using Black Soldier Fly larvae to convert agricultural waste into animal feed.

Spotlight: Innovopro on chickpea potential

Taly Nechushtan, CEO at Innovopro, is committed to bringing their chickpea-based protein ingredients to the global food market in order to create sustainable and tasty food solutions

Has modern farming failed?

Ana Digón from Agricultura Regenerativa, and lay Englard, the co-founder of Trellis, join Matt and Lukxmi to discuss the sustainability issues of modern industrial farming. Ana, who represents a group of progressive farmers in Spain, shares the benefits of 'Regenerative Agriculture' a system promoting crop diversity and soil rehabilitation through natural methods. Ilay also shares his hopes for Trellis – a tech driven platform built to help farmers use data and AI – improving sustainability and profits along the way.

Spotlight: Tastewise on understanding food trends

Director of Accounts and Sales at Tastewise, Laura Hoffman, describes how they are helping companies understand the latest culinary trends with their AI-powered insights and real-time data

Innovating through adversity

This week Matt is joined by EIT Food CEO Andy Zynga to meet two recipients of the new Covid-19 Bridge Fund, a €5.4m investment fund helping startups through the crisis. Fanny Rolet introduces Antofenol – a biotechnology company developing vine-wood extracts that can be used in place of chemical preservatives for food – and Françoise de Valera shares the story of Food Sourcing Specialists, a company tackling sustainability in the sports nutrition market.

Spotlight: Orbisk on food waste technology

Orbisk CEO, Olaf van der Veen, explains how their smart camera and AI technology can reduce food waste in the hospitality sector by providing detailed insights into the quantity and type of food being thrown away.

Does food need to be packaged?

Archana Jagannathan (Senior Director Sustainable Packaging at Pepsico) and Daphna Nissenbaum (Co-Founder of compostable packaging company TIPA) join Matt and Lukxmi to talk about the latest innovations in food packaging – and why now is the time to fight the plastic packaging crisis.

Spotlight: Prolupin on plant proteins

CEO of Prolupin, Malte Stampe, highlights the versatility of lupin and how the plant can be made into a healthy and sustainable alternative protein.

Waste Not, Want Not

Food historian Dr Annie Gray and sustainable restauranteur Alice Gilsenan (of Nature London) join Matt and Lukxmi to talk about ways to avoid food waste. They explore whether tips and tricks from the past can help us solve food waste issues today – featuring kimchi, pigswill, and meal planners.

Spotlight: Urban Crop Solutions on vertical farming

Founder of Urban Crop Solutions, Maarten Vandecruys, highlights how they are pioneering technologies for state of the art indoor farming systems.

The most extreme places to grow food

Have you ever thought about growing food in the subzero temperatures of the arctic tundra, or even in space, on a space station or on a far away planet? This week Matt and Lukxmi meet Benjamin Vidmar (founder of Polar Permaculture Solutions) and Angelo Vermeulen (co-founder of SEADS [Space Ecologies Art and Design] and researcher at TU Delft) to talk about farming in "the extreme” and why it’s such an important area of study.

The Big Takeaway

Matt and Lukxmi look back at some of the most poignant moments from series 1 of the Food Fight podcast. From improving diets to reducing food waste – they discuss the encouraging progress that’s being made to fix some of the food system’s biggest problems... and where work still desperately needs to be done.

Spotlight: Agricolus on smart farming

Federica Bordoni, Business Developer at Agricolus, explains how they are pushing the boundaries of smart agriculture by creating a cloud platform to support and optimise the work of farmers across the globe.

Food in crisis: is the food system resilient enough?

Matt and Lukxmi are joined by Professor Chris Elliott OBE from Queens University Belfast (Founder of the Institute for Global Food Security), alongside Food Unfolded journalist Silvia Lazzaris. They discuss the current fragility of the global food system, how businesses are evolving through Covid-19, and the technology providing the solutions.

Spotlight: Wasteless on saving perishable food

David Kat, the Vice President of Business Development at Wasteless, discusses how they are helping food retailers and suppliers reduce food loss through their AI-powered dynamic pricing.

How to build a purpose-driven food company

Matt Eastland is joined by Mark Cuddigan, the CEO of organic baby food brand Ella’s Kitchen, alongside Solveiga Pakštaitė, the founder of Mimica – a startup fighting food waste with temperature reactive labels. They explain why they put values before profit, and why every food business should be driven by the desire to do good in the world. (This episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 outbreak)

Spotlight: Banabooms on reducing food waste

Inna Zhuravlova introduces Banabooms, a start-up created out of EIT’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project, who are giving new life to surplus bananas by turning them into a sustainable breakfast cereal for all to enjoy.

Is our food safe?

From allergens to food fraud, knowing what's in our food and understanding the ingredients is more important than ever. In this episode Matt and Lukxmi are joined by Brij Sahi, who introduces SwissDeCode, a company pioneering the use of portable DNA testing. Jaed Khan also shares the story of FoodMaestro – a company helping to answer the question “can I eat this” by building apps and retail solutions that help to navigate dietary needs. (This episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 outbreak.)

Spotlight: Aleph Farms on cultivated meat

Aleph Farms CEO and Co-Founder, Didier Toubia, discusses how they are shaping the future by taking cells from a real cow and replicating them outside of the animal to grow slaughter-free meat

Is sugar the new tobacco?

This week Matt is joined by Annick Verween to host a panel discussing what the food sector is doing to reduce sugar consumption, in response to growing health concerns. Recorded live at EIT Food’s Venture Summit in Lisbon, guests include Tom Simmons (Founder of Stem) and Ilan Samish (Founder of Amai Proteins) who have pioneered novel ingredients that can replace sugar, both its sweetness and structure. Karine Delafaye also explains how the world-renowned food company Danone are also championing the movement, with their own Sugar & Sweetness acceleration project.

Spotlight: Natural Machines on printing food

Alba Martin introduces Natural Machines - a company that has created a 3D food printing appliance called Foodini, which enables consumers to eat healthier, lower their food waste and personalise the food they print.

Can we trust the food we eat?

This week we’ve got trust issues. Matt & Lukxmi are joined by Anthony Warner (The Angry Chef) and Liesbet Vranken (from the KU Leuven University in Belgium) to discuss who we can trust in the food system to give us reputable information about the food we're eating. From farmers to food packaging, social media influencers to health food shops – they shed some light on who to trust, and who to take with a pinch of salt.

Spotlight: GrainSense on ensuring crop quality

Edvard Krogius introduces GrainSense – a company that has developed a handheld tool to help farmers analyse the quality of grains in the field. He explains how the production of higher quality grain proteins, could play a key role in creating a more profitable and sustainable food supply.

Is technology protecting or exploiting our seas and oceans?

Matt and Lukxmi are joined by Thor Sigfusson (Founder of the Iceland Ocean Cluster), Hordur Kristinsson (Chief Science & Innovation Officer at Matis) and Isabel Hoffmann (CEO & Founder of startup Tellspec) – to discuss whether technology is protecting, or indeed exploiting our seas and fish stocks? This episode was recorded live at the YFood London Food Tech Week in May 2019.

Spotlight: NapiFeryn on sustainable protein

NapiFeryn’s CEO, Magdalena Kozłowska, highlights the pressing need to feed an increasing world population and how her startup is delivering a sustainable solution in the form of protein from rapeseed.

What’s the beef with alternative protein?

Whether you’re a meat eater, vegan, or vegetarian, the role of protein in our diet is something we all need to think about. In the food industry it’s widely accepted that ‘alternative proteins’ will play an important role in creating a more sustainable food system – but what exactly are they, and should we all be eating them? To answer these questions Matt and Lukxmi meet Roberta Iley from Forum for the Future's Protein Challenge 2040, and Jim Laird, CEO of 3F Bio, a startup developing alternative proteins through fermentation.

Spotlight: Stem on sugar replacement

Tom Simmons introduces Stem – a company working to develop natural plant-based sugar substitutes to help manufacturers reduce the sugar content of physical food products such as those in bakery, confectionery, and snack segments.

Is there value in food waste?

44% of bread baked around the world is never eaten – but for Toast Ale, this is an opportunity. Matt and Lukxmi meet Rob Wilson, "Chief Toaster" at Toast Ale, to hear how the brewery is creating delicious beer from crusts that would have otherwise ended up in the bin. They are also joined by Linda Grieder, founder of RethinkResource, to discuss how the food industry can do more to divert waste and side streams, by putting them to good use (and making money along the way).

Spotlight: Tipa on disrupting plastic packaging

Tipa's CEO, Daphna Nissenbaum discusses why plastic has dominated the packaging industry and how they are tackling the plastic problem through their sustainable alternative.

Can we really influence consumers to make healthier food choices?

Matt and Lukxmi are joined by Danielle Nierenberg (co-founder of Food Tank), Ignace De Nollin (MD of SmartWithFood) and chef, nutritionist and food activist Bela Gil – to discuss how we can influence consumers to make healthier food choices. This episode was recorded live at Seeds & Chips Food Innovation Summit in Milan in May 2019.

Spotlight: FoodParing on making sustainability tasty

FoodPairing co-founder, Bernard Lahousse, explains how his company is combining flavour science with data science – to create new exciting pairings that are tasty, healthy and sustainable.

Should producers be responsible for making food healthy?

Matt and Luxkmi present a podcast recorded live at Seeds & Chips Food Innovation Summit in Milan in May 2019. Joined by Alexandre Bastos (Director of Science & Technology for the Flavours division of Givaudan), Eshchar Ben-Shitrit (Founder of Redefine Meat) and Lorena Savani (EIT Food Innovation Programme Manager) they ask the question “Should producers be responsible for making food healthy?”

Spotlight: RethinkResource on creating value from food waste

Linda Grieder introduces RethinkResource, a company looking at ways that food waste and side streams can be turned into profit. She also explains how RethinkResource's new platform – Circado – is working to connect industries to make the most out of food waste opportunities.

How do we clean up all the food waste?

According to UN research, one-third of all food produced is wasted. In this episode Matt and Lukxmi meet with Tessa Clarke (founder of food-sharing platform OLIO) and Veerle Carlier (R&D and Innovation manager at food retailer Colruyt) to discuss strategies for tackling the problem.

Spotlight: 3F BIO on alternative protein

Protein is a vital component of any healthy diet – but with a rising global demand how can we scale production without destroying the planet along the way? Jim Laird introduces 3F BIO, a company focusing on meat alternatives that taste just as good.

Can we really feed 10 billion people by 2050?

In the first episode of the The Food Fight podcast Matt and Lukxmi are joined by Professor Corinna Hawkes, Director of the Centre for Food Policy of City University London, and Stephane Durand from Queen’s University Belfast, to debate the question "Can we really feed 10 billion people by 2050?"