Sustainability Bites in 2024: podcasting

The Sustainability Bites podcast started in February 2023 and has since published over 25 episodes in different formats, including Column Breaks and interviews with experts. We have worked hard on producing several episodes for Sustainability Bites this year, and we wanted to use this article to highlight the episodes that we published so far.  

Belgian Presidency 

The biggest share of episodes is part of a series highlighting the priorities of the Belgian Presidency of the EU in relation to agrifood. In the first episode of the year, we talked with Tessa Avermaete from Sustainable Food Economies Research Group (SFERE) and KU Leuven about the Presidency’s priorities surrounding sustainability in food production and food choices. We looked at the ambition of the Presidency regarding sustainable food production, the availability of healthy food choices in schools, and the impact of initiatives such as the Week without Meat.  

In the second episode of the Belgian Presidency series, we spoke with Jürgen Vangeyte from Instituut voor Landbouw, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek (ILVO) about the priorities of the Presidency surrounding innovation in the agriculture and food sector. This episode is completely in Dutch. We examined the implementation of new agriculture technologies, the upcoming Strategic Dialogue and the importance of forums like the Synergy Days.  

In this French-spoken episode, we discussed environment, agriculture and biodiversity in Wallonia with Bénédicte Heindrichs, general director at SPW ARNE. We explored the region's unique blend of tradition and innovation, navigating sustainability in farming, conservation efforts, and vital water resource management.  

In the most recent episode, we discussed with Karolien Byttebier from Bond Beter Leefmilieu about how we can better stimulate plant-based and novelty foods on an EU-level. We talked about the place of plant-based and novelty foods on the EU Presidency’s agenda, the resistance against cultured meats, and the importance of uniform labels for new foods such as micro-algae.  

Other topics 

However, the published episodes are not just limited to discussing the Belgian Presidency. For example, earlier this year Jack dove into intersectionality together with social justice activist Gail Rego (She/Her). They covered topics ranging from the essentials of being a good ally to the imperative need for self-education, and of course delving into the upcoming EU elections. Besides this, a brand-new episode produced by Jack touches upon sustainable health and urban planning by with healthcare expert Jason Pettiaux. 

There is much more in the pipeline for the coming months, such as: 

• an episode on the upcoming EU elections with Lorena van de Kolk 

• an episode on NGTs with Mathias De Mesmaeker, GMO expert working for the Belgian Presidency  

Keep an eye out for new episodes and do not forget to share them with all those that might be interested! 

Our services 

Besides the Sustainability Bites podcast, we also offer podcasting as a service for clients. A good example of our expertise is the podcast series ‘The Gut Feeling’ on Inflammatory Bowel Disease done by our Life Sciences Team for one of our clients. In this series, our team talked with healthcare experts and those who experienced IBD about the different aspects you deal with as IBD-diagnosed in your daily life. With our in-house expertise on agrifood, health, energy and environmental issues, we are able to facilitate insightful and interactive interviews and provide a format tailor-made for every type of organisation. 

Do you have ideas for guests or topics? Or do you simply want to collaborate with the Brussels team on new episodes? Do not hesitate to reach out to Margaux, Jack or me!