From great chunks of fermented sheep meat in the Faroe Islands to an exploding corn in Mexico: Dan Saladino has spanned the globe to uncover the stories of foods that are at risk of being lost forever. What he finds is that in today’s food system, the line between abundance and disaster has never been thinner.
The people behind the Green Revolution in the last century did an incredible job at boosting food supplies around the world – but that success came at a price. It made our food systems vulnerable to the growing climate crisis. If allowed to continue at full speed, the loss of food diversity and our dependence on just a handful of species and companies will leave us ecologically and culturally destitute.
Of the thousands of wild and domesticated plants that were once eaten by humans, only nine are now staples. And three of them – wheat, corn, and rice – make up half the calories that we consume. The current system is both efficient and fragile, with little resilience – something the war in Ukraine has confronted us with. What can stories from the past teach us about how to inhabit the world now and in the future? And can we actually regain biodiversity on our plates?
Dan Saladino
Dan Saladino is a journalist and broadcaster. He makes programmes about food for BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service. His work has been recognized by the Guild of Food Writers Awards, the Fortnum and Mason Food and Drink Awards, and in America by the James Beard Foundation. Eating to Extinction was awarded the James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing. He lives in Cheltenham, but his roots are Sicilian.
Gedeelde grond
De Balie maakt met steun van Rabobank verschillende programmareeksen over de Nederlandse ruimtelijke transitie. Onder de noemer Gedeelde grond maken we programma’s en organiseren we kringgesprekken met betrokkenen uit de landbouwsector, boeren, natuurbeschermers, wetenschappers en politici. Zo stimuleren we de uitwisseling van perspectieven en een constructief gesprek over de toekomst van ons land en onze bodem. Meer over Gedeelde grond, onze samenwerking en alle programma’s vind je hier: Gedeelde grond.
Speakers
Tasting to Extinction
Starting at 18:30, price €27,50.
In addition to this programme, we offer a unique tasting of Dutch foods threatened with extinction.
A ticket for the tasting experience also contains a ticket to this programme.
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