We’re all aware of the importance of healthy, sustainable eating. For our bodies and for the planet. But it’s not always easy to convince ourselves to make a meaningful change in the behaviors we’re used to, let alone implementing change across societies worldwide. We might understand that a cow has to eat 100 grams of grain in order to grow by 5 grams, making beef an unsustainable commodity. But we still want a steak or a burger. Luckily, there are brilliant minds at work on this issue. The key is to introduce new options that are good for the environment and the individual that lead to long-term habits for consumers of all walks of life. We eat hedonistically, meaning for personal pleasure, not just to sustain our bodies. But we also think morally—we are concerned about animal welfare and the environment. We also want to do what is healthy for us and easy on our wallets.

In order to come up with winning solutions, the EU Food Summit was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia November 5th through 7th 2022. Dealing with themes like reduction of food waste, feeding the undernourished, and producing food that is better for the planet long-term, the EU Food Summit brought together international experts to tackle a problem that affects us all and will affect our descendants long into the future. In this episode, Dr Noah Charney spoke to several of the international guests at the Food Summit to learn what it's all about. Among them were Martin Jezeršek, the CEO of Jezeršek Catering and the co-founder of the EU Food Summit, Dan Saladino, a BBC journalist and writer, Tilen Travnik, the CEO of Juicy Marbles, and Marleen Onwezen, an expert and researcher at Wageningen University.

You will also learn about The 'Common-Sensitarian' Diet Manifesto, which was launched at the event  and has already been endorsed by a wide range of ambassadors and other supporters.  The Manifesto does not refer to a diet that restricts you in what you can and cannot eat. It is both a personal moral commitment and an appeal for social, economic and political change. It respects planetary boundaries and is necessary for restoring sustainable food systems with a lower negative impact on the climate and the environment.

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The European Food Summit, which has successfully built the future of responsible attitude towards food for the last few years, and thus left a positive mark not only in Europe but also globally, is returning to Slovenia

Feel Slovenia the Podcast is brought to you by the Slovenian Tourist Board and hosted by Dr Noah Charney.

Sound Production: Urska Charney

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