Dr Kate Sievert - Meat And Sustainable Food Systems

Dr Kate Sievert is a Research Fellow at GLOBE at Deakin University with a special interest in power and politics with regard to food systems and their relationship with population and planetary health. Kate is also a co-founder of Healthy Food Systems Australia, an advocacy group dedicated to bettering food systems for all Australians and the land.Dr Sievert was responsible for leading The World Health Organisation’s recent Information Brief titled Red and Processed Meat in the Context of Health and the Environment: Many Shades of Red and Green, which synthesized the current evidence on the role of red and processed meat production and consumption in health and environmental outcomes, and in different social and political contexts.In this episode, we discuss this recent publication in addition to some of Kate’s other fascinating work regarding transparency within the food industry, corporate power, and political influence. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, so you may want to listen through it twice. However, one thing that Kate makes clear is that in transitioning to a sustainable food system we need to think more deeply than economics and consider concepts that are best for humans, animals, and the planet.In this episode, we discuss:Kate’s background and the path that led to her current researchKate’s work at the Global Centre for Preventative Health (GLOBE)Red and processed meat production and consumption trendsShifting meat consumption patterns – influences on consumer behaviourMeat consumption and nutritional adequacy versus potential health risksZoonotic disease and antimicrobial resistance risksFood safety risks and food-borne diseases associated with animal-sourced foodsKey environmental concerns associated with red and processed meatsPracticalities of feeding the world with regenerative farming methodsPotential alternatives to red and processed meats in the dietThe consideration of sustainability in food-based dietary guidelinesThe power of the food industry, links to government, and consequent impact on policymakingMedia framing and meat consumption – who has a beef with reducing red and processed meat consumptionChanges needed to achieve sustainable food systemsTo view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.