This event was hosted by TABLE on 10 September 2024 and took the format of a panel discussion moderated by Jenny Splitter (Editor-in-chief, Sentient Media) with:Hibba Mazhary (PhD Candidate, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford);Nikki Yoxall (Head of Research, Pasture for Life);Cleo Verkuijl (Scientist, Stockholm Environment Institute);Josh Milburn (Lecturer in Political Philosophy, Loughborough University);Harriet Bartlett (Research Associate, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford). The event was inspired by TABLE's recent explainer "Animal welfare and ethics in food and agriculture".

We explore an animal rights investigation into a higher welfare labelling scheme developed by the RSPCA, the leading UK charity working to end animal cruelty. Their scheme, RSPCA-Assured, covers enterprises that rear 24 million animals in the UK. We’ve examined the evidence compiled in the 50 page report from activists Animal Rising to explore the accusation it makes that the RSPCA scheme is  “covering up cruelty on an industrial scale.”  And we dig into it demands to end the labelling scheme. 

Food historian and chef Neil Buttery explores the creation, evolution and cultural importance of some of our most beloved baked foods. It charts innovations, happy accidents and some of the more bizarre baked foods created.

Charlotte Biltekoff explores the role that science and scientific authority play in food industry responses to consumer concerns about what we eat and how it is made. Biltekoff argues industry efforts to correct public misperceptions through science-based education have consistently misunderstood the public's concerns, which she argues are an expression of politics. 

Author Michael Carolan argues that cheap food is in fact exceedingly expensive. He asks whether we can afford cheap food by exploring what exactly cheap food affords us. He explores the breadth and depth of externalities produced by the global food system and argues for a more contextual view of food when debating its affordability.

This report by the Food Foundation argues that the health implications of shifting diets towards plant-based diets is nuanced in high income countries, depending on the substitution.It puts forward a categorisation of plant based foods looking at nutrition, environmental and price indicators to assess how categories and individual products compare to meat. 

This report by the Green European Journal argues concentration in the agricultural commodity market has allowed a handful of companies to maximise profits during a global food crisis. It suggests European regulators should step up their efforts to rein in harmful market dominance. 

This report commissioned by Farm Journal Foundation explores how climate change is affecting nutrition in low and middle income countries, where citizens tend to have a lower capacity to adapt. It outlines 9 suggestions for the US government to support global nutrition security. 

The paper explores to what extent ruminant farming can enhance and preserve biodiversity, and calculates what would be an equivalent level of consumption. It found that with biodiverse-friendly grazing production, an average person could consume 2.2kg of milk per year and 0.8 kg of red meat.