Covid-19 and Food podcast
A new podcast series from IGFS exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the food landscape
As well as being a global health crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic is intricately linked with food – from the origins of the virus through to the impact on international food systems, the food industry and the wider food economy.
In this podcast series, leading figures from the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen's University Belfast focus on the areas where the pandemic has caused the biggest shockwaves, from international disruption to supply and demand to the fierce debate around the future of agriculture and environmental sustainability.
Along the way, we discuss the impact on animals and wildlife; the opportunity for greater nutrition during lockdown; and how our local food industry is coping.
Episode 1
Dr Simon Doherty, Vice-President of the British Veterinary Association and a Senior Lecturer at IGFS talks about the impact of Covid 19 on farm animals and farming systems - and even our pets
Episode 2
Declan Billington, a Northern Ireland agrifood business leader and Brexit negotiator and an honorary professor at Queen's University Belfast talks to IGFS Communications Officer Una Bradley about the impact of Covid 19 on the local food industry
Episode 3
Professor Chris Elliott OBE, the founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen's University Belfast, shares his expertise on global food systems, food fraud, food standards and food quality - including the link between Covid-19 mortality and obesity - post-Covid and post-Brexit
Episode 4
Dr Danielle McCarthy, Senior Lecturer at IGFS and former Head of Nutrition at Sainsbury's, tells IGFS Communications Officer Una Bradley why the Covid-19 crisis provides an opportunity not only for enhanced health and wellbeing but a shake-up of the entire food system
Episode 5
Conservation biologist Dr Neil Reid discusses the links between Covid-19 and biodiversity, wildlife and the environment, including whether the world wildlife trade should be banned.
Episode 6
Dr Fiona Lavelle, Research Fellow at IGFS, explains how the Covid-19 pandemic is changing cooking, shopping and eating habits and examines the early evidence of a link between the virus and dietary health.