On 11 January 2022, TABLE and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food hosted a panel discussion centred around the “Politics of knowledge”, the first section of the Global Alliance report: Understanding the evidence for Agroecology, Regenerative approaches, and Indigenous foodways. The panel discussed what knowledge and evidence counts and to whom, and who decides which evidence is legitimate for making policy or ushering in food systems transformation.

On 8 December 2021, TABLE hosted and recorded an open discussion about power in the food system with representatives from civil society, academia, media and the private sector.  At TABLE we recognise that our own biases and perspectives influence how we think about power in the food system. The purpose of this event was to hear a range of different views and understandings of power. This kick off event for our power theme helps us think about who and what shapes, controls and influences past, present and future food systems.  

This video from German animation studio Kurzgesagt takes a balanced look at the debates around the environmental impacts of meat. It draws on some TABLE resources including Grazed and Confused (our report on the question of soil carbon sequestration by grazing livestock) and our explainer Soy: food, feed, and land use change. Kurzegesagt’s video We lied to you… and we’ll do it again is also worth a watch for an overview of how they balance simplification and accuracy when communicating complex topics.

This book explores the potential of school farms to educate students and also increase access to fresh food. Chapters discuss school farms in a range of locations, including the UK and Kerala.

This open-access book looks at the approaches that people take towards agroecological transitions. It defines two clusters: a “determinist” perspective which focuses on achieving a predefined end goal for the transition to agroecology, and an “open-ended” perspective which leaves more room for changing goals.

This report from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food examines the evidence supporting agroecology, regenerative, and Indigenous approaches to food systems. It also looks at broader questions of how data is gathered, whose knowledge carries weight and what counts as evidence. It calls for “decolonising and democratising knowledge systems within education, research, and innovation” to help accelerate food systems transformations.

This report from Greenpeace Denmark identifies seven “myths” used in marketing materials from large meat companies. It assesses the imagery commonly used with each of the seven narratives using examples of real adverts, and argues that meat advertising should be regulated more closely.

The 2021 edition of the Global Nutrition Report examines progress towards global nutrition targets, the impact of diets on health and the environment, the nutrition financing landscape, and reporting on Nutrition for Growth commitments. 

This report from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics examines the social and ethical issues that could arise from applying genome editing to farmed animals. While genome editing could help address some food systems challenges, for example by giving animals greater resistance to some diseases, it also may lead to less attention being paid to animal welfare.