21 May Podcast Episode 3
Food and Biodiversity with Dr Lenore Newman
Food and Biodiversity with Dr Lenore Newman
In this episode of What the f*** is biodiversity, Ann and Lenore talk about the food we eat and how this impacts biodiversity. They discuss everything from the American Bison and the extinction of the passenger pigeon to our food supply chains, COVID-19, and the historic lunch that founded Canada. They also discuss the most sustainable diet, the merits of eating organic versus local, and how you can’t catch a virus from a plant. Lenore also sets the record straight about a very famous quote we are all familiar with, so make sure you listen to the end.
About Lenore Newman
Lenore Newman holds a Canada Research Chair in Food Security and Environment at the University of the Fraser Valley, where she is currently an Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment. She also serves as Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at UFV. Lenore’s academic career as a culinary geographer has included fieldwork around the globe in the study of public markets, regional cuisines, farmland preservation, global food security, and the ecology of the world’s food system.
Lenore’s first book, Speaking in Cod Tongues: A Canadian Culinary Journey, was published by University of Regina Press in 2017 and won a Saskatchewan book prize. It has been reviewed in the National Post, the Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail, and led to fifty print, radio, and
television interviews, including on The Current, North by Northwest, CKNW, and Unreserved. She recently published The Lost Feast: Culinary Extinction and the Future of Food that was reviewed by NPR, the National Post, CBC, and the Atlantic. Lenore has also authored over forty academic papers and reports in her areas of research. She is particularly proud of her work on foraged foods and on the impact of climate change on cuisine.
Lenore’s work has received widespread attention, and in 2014 she was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. She has published op-eds in Georgia Straight, the Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail, Alternatives Magazine, and Modern Agriculture Magazine, and she has been interviewed for a diverse and growing range of media outlets on topics such as farmland protection, Canadian cuisine, and the future of food.
About Lenore Newman
Lenore Newman holds a Canada Research Chair in Food Security and Environment at the University of the Fraser Valley, where she is currently an Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment. She also serves as Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at UFV. Lenore’s academic career as a culinary geographer has included fieldwork around the globe in the study of public markets, regional cuisines, farmland preservation, global food security, and the ecology of the world’s food system.
Lenore’s first book, Speaking in Cod Tongues: A Canadian Culinary Journey, was published by University of Regina Press in 2017 and won a Saskatchewan book prize. It has been reviewed in the National Post, the Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail, and led to fifty print, radio, and television interviews, including on The Current, North by Northwest, CKNW, and Unreserved. She recently published The Lost Feast: Culinary Extinction and the Future of Food that was reviewed by NPR, the National Post, CBC, and the Atlantic. Lenore has also authored over forty academic papers and reports in her areas of research. She is particularly proud of her work on foraged foods and on the impact of climate change on cuisine.
Lenore’s work has received widespread attention, and in 2014 she was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. She has published op-eds in Georgia Straight, the Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail, Alternatives Magazine, and Modern Agriculture Magazine, and she has been interviewed for a diverse and growing range of media outlets on topics such as farmland protection, Canadian cuisine, and the future of food.
Episode Notes
DR LENORE NEWMAN’S RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
- Speaking in Cod Tongues: A Canadian Culinary Journey, By Lenore Newman
- The Lost Feast: Culinary Extinction and the Future of Food, by Lenore Newman
- Dr Lenore Newman’s Research Gate profile
- University of the Fraser Valley Food and Agriculture Institute
FOOD AS KEYSTONE AND PASSENGER PIGEONS
- ‘Food is a keystone’: How to save our favourite foods from extinction, CBC Radio Interview
- The canary in the coal mine: Why did passenger pigeons go extinct?, NET Blog
- Why passenger pigeons went extinct a century ago, by Eric Guiry, The Conversation
OCEAN RECOVERY WITHIN 30 YEARS
- ‘Rebuilding marine life’: Duarte, C. M., Agusti, S., Barbier, E., Britten, G. L., Castilla, J. C., Gattuso, J. P., … & Lotze, H. K. (2020). Rebuilding marine life. Nature, 580(7801), 39-51.
- The ocean has a chance to recover within 30 years, NET BLOG
TACKLING BIODIVERSITY LOSS AND CLIMATE CHANGE TOGETHER
- Finding Common Ground: Six steps for tackling climate change and biodiversity loss in Canada, by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)
WHAT IS REWILDING?
- Rewilding 101: Should we or Shouldn’t We Rewild Landscapes?, by Jerika Bradford, Canadian Wildlife Federation
- While different than rewilding, permaculture integrates humans into the landscape. Learn more: Forest Gardening: No digging, mowing or weeding required, by Joanna Chin, NET Blog
40% OF EARTH’S LAND SURFACE IS DEDICATED TO AGRICULTURE
- Agriculture production as a major driver of the Earth system exceeding planetary boundaries, by Campbell et al., Ecology and Society
- A call for common sense farming, by Navin Ramankutty, Medium
SVALBARD GLOBAL SEED VAULT
- VR visit of seed vault via Crop Trust
- Inside the ‘doomsday’ vault, by Jennifer Duggan, Time
WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME
- White-nose syndrome impacting bats in Canada infographic, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative
- 10 Years of White-nose Syndrome on Canada’s Bats: An Update, By Karen Vanderwolf, Canadian Wildlife Federation
QUOTE: “TELL ME WHAT YOU EAT AND I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE”
THE LUNCH THAT FOUNDED CANADA
- SALUT: Dazzling lunch led to formation of Canada, by Mia Stainsby, Vancouver Sun
CHARLOTTE RUSSE DESSERT
- Charlotte Russe Recipe, Canadian Living
- Parks Canada Heritage Gourmet: 60 historic Canadian recipes (beverages, breads and pancakes, desserts and baked goods, main courses, salads and sides, soups and starters).