It is all well and good to talk about a vision for a different future, to imagine a world where we all have the capacity to thrive and flourish. To talk about transforming our relationship and connection with food, and building food systems that nourish our bodies, minds, and spirits while connecting us to ourselves, each other, and the living biosphere.

However, we must face the fact that we live on a finite planet. That living on a finite planet means that there are physical limits, boundaries and universal laws we cannot change. And as we bring our vision of living in a world where our food and food systems truly nourish us into being, we must make sure they work within physical and universal limits and constraints. In other words, we must make sure that our food systems are built for a finite planet.

So, in this episode, we will look at the one physical limit that determines what is, and what is not sustainable for the long term, and I will likely explain things differently than you have heard before.

So, what are the limits? And how do we, as everyday people, make sense of them? How do we use them to make meaningful change in our lives, communities and societies?

From Disconnection to Reconnection: Why Food Is About More Than Eating. In this episode, we are going to talk about our relationship with food, because so many of us have become stuck in the roles of eaters and consumers, and that is impacting our health, wellbeing and the health of Earth’s biosphere.

Food is very personal and intimate, connected to the broader world and the systems we live within. We take our food and put it inside us; it becomes a part of us. Every day, our bodies are made and remade from our food, drink, and interactions with our environments.

This means that we are putting our trust, our very lives, in our food systems.

Food systems are simply all the processes and infrastructure that work to feed us. These can be as simple as gardens, community gardens, urban and rural farms, markets, cooperatives, neighbours trading and bartering food, and people who process and prepare food, such as butchers, bakers, and chefs. But more commonly, in regions like North America, they include industrial agriculture, grocery stores, fast food outlets, factory food processing, and a lot of packaging and waste disposal...

This episode introduces the concept of Creating Change with Food. What it is, how and why this idea came to be, and why it matters. As we explore, I will tell you a bit about my own story.

Food and eating done well give us the opportunity to feel pleasure, wellbeing and connection every day while nourishing our bodies. On the flip side, food is one of the most common causes of feeling uncomfortable in my body and mind, and feeling less than my best.

In fact, from a big picture point of view, the food most of us are eating and the food systems that produce it are destroying our health, our wellbeing and the foundation for life, Earth’s biosphere. That’s definitely not the world I want to live in…

I want to live in a world where we all have the capacity to thrive, flourish, and be and feel healthy, within the biosphere’s limits. And that is a big shift from where we are now.

We need a systems transformation—and every day, people will be the ones to create it. This is what Creating Change with Food is all about.

Creating change with food is about the power of food and food systems to create positive transformations in personal and community health and wellbeing, biosphere health, and social and economic health. It is not about becoming a better consumer, about a list of “good” or “bad” foods. It is about rolling up our sleeves and taking an active role in our food systems.