Slow Food, the podcast

What does the smell of fresh bread have to do with selling a house? Why does vanilla make things taste sweeter? And when did the food industry start using scent as a tool to shape what we want, before we even take a bite?

Today we are diving into something you probably experience every single day without realising it: the invisible world of food smells and how they are used to influence your choices, your emotions, and your appetite. My guest is Elena Mancioppi, a philosopher and researcher at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, specialising in the aesthetics of smell, olfactory marketing, and the sociopolitical dimensions of food aromas. Her work sits at the crossroads of philosophy, perception, and food politics. And it might just change the way you walk through a supermarket. Are you ready to smell things differently? 

Host & production: Valentina Gritti
Guest: Elena Mancioppi
Music: Leonardo Prieto

Useful links: 
Osmospheres, Mimesis International: https://mimesisinternational.com/osmospheres-smell-atmosphere-food-2/
L'Olfattivo, Edizioni ETS: https://www.edizioniets.com/scheda.asp?n=9788846763136
The Senses of Smell: Scents, Odors and Aromatic Spaces, Rivista di Estetica: https://journals.openedition.org/estetica/8190
Osmospheric Dwelling: Smell, Smell, Food, Gender and Atmospheres, Espes: https://zenodo.org/records/7489494
Smell Aesthetics, UNISG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw1yohcLbRQ
Towards a Sociopolitical Aesthetics of Smell, Rivista di Estetica: https://journals.openedition.org/estetica/8383?lang=en
Atmospheres, Art, and Aesthetics: A Conversation, Espes: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59ac89042994caa10199036a/t/66df1ada3a5b080f32dbd329/1725897434627/ESPES_interview.pdf
Omosfere: Estetiche olfattive dell’abitare l’aria, Smell Magazine: https://smellmagazine.it/omosfere-estetiche-olfattive-dellabitare-laria/02/02/2023/

 

A project by Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN).

When did sweet become too sweet? How does sugar reflect a collective craving? And what does this reveal about contemporary food society?

Today we are going to immerse ourselves into an indulgent discussion. We will speculate with philosopher and researcher Maddalena Borsato about how sweetness is shaping our society and what sugar and the need for something sweet actually means to us. Maddalena is a researcher in the field of philosophy and aesthetics at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy. At the same time she has attended pastry school and she runs a blog called Aristotele, where she raises philosophical questions starting from a sweet recipe. Are you already craving something sweet? Because I do! So let’s start our discussion with Maddalena. 

Host: Valentina Gritti
Guest: Maddalena Borsato 
Production: Klets.media

A project by Slow Food Youth Network

How is the issue of food waste seen from an EU perspective? How does the legislative work impact member states and consumers? What are tricks on how to reduce food waste at home?

Today we talk about food waste reduction. In fact last weekend Slow Food Youth Network celebrated the 10th anniversary of World Disco Soup Day, our biggest campaign to raise awareness on the importance of food waste reduction. You can see more details on the campaign on the Slow Food Youth Network social media. Thousands of activists from restaurants to communities have joined World Disco Soup Day, But policy makers also have a key role in food waste reduction. This is why we had a conversation with Zoe Caramitsou-Tzira,  with a focus on how this issue is tackled by the European Union. Zoe is policy officer at DG Health and Food Safety, and her role in particular is to look at Food Waste, and Food Information to Consumers from the European Commission. 

Host and production: Valentina Gritti
Guest: Zoe Caramitsou-Tzira (policy officer at DG Health and Food Safety)

Useful links:

EU platform on Food Losses and Waste: https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/food-waste/eu-actions-against-food-waste/eu-platform-food-losses-and-food-waste_en

EU Hub: https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/food_waste/eu-food-loss-waste-prevention-hub/about

Toolkit to reduce consumer food waste: https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/bioeconomy/reduce-food-waste_en

Activities around the international day: https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/food-waste/international-day-awareness-food-loss-and-waste_en 

A project by Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN)

How can we combine science, art and technology to build a more sustainable food system? How can artificial intelligence be used in this process? Is art threatened by AI or can technology be used as a tool to achieve something out of the ordinary? 

The episode of today is mind-blowing. I have interviewed a lot of activists in the past and seen so many initiatives, but if I can be totally open to you: this time I experienced something completely out of the ordinary. I am talking about Hungry Eco-Cities. Hungry Eco-cities combine science, technology, and the arts, to explore how digital technologies & applications can lead in turn to reduced food waste, more sustainable value chains, eco-friendly attitudes, and more ethical food consumption. I had the chance to interview in person in Rotterdam Lija Groenewoud van Vliet, Creative Director at In4Art and co-coördinator Hungry EcoCities, as well as some of the artists involved in the project.

Host & Production: Valentina Gritti
Guests: Lija Groenewoud van Vliet (in4art), Laila Snevere (Phygital Seasoning), Jeroen Van Der Most (Vegetable Vendetta), Nicolas Rotta and InstaGreen (Re-Source Society)

Useful links: 

- Hungry Ecocities: https://starts.eu/hungryecocities/
- HEClab platform: https://heclab.eu/landing-page 

This episode is part of the podcast series "Tomorrow's Table: rethinking food as we know it" co-produced by Slow Food Youth Network and ICONS for the EU-funded CLEVERFOOD project.

What is a practical way to implement artificial intelligence in food? Which content and engagement strategy is effective for social media algorithms? How can we avoid that all the information we receive becomes overwhelming?

Today we talk about food and algorithms, with Massimiliano Carraro (from Behavix) and two sustainable lifestyle influencers: Daria, from @DariaAlNaturale_, and Shannen from @_greengal. We will look into how artificial intelligence and algorithms can be used in the fields of food waste reduction, but also in content creation and engagement.

This podcast is part of the series “Tomorrow’s Table, Rethinking Food As We Know It”, which weaves together the experiences and insights of projects and living labs within the FOOD 2030 Network launched by Cleverfood. Cleverfood is a European project aimed at fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and systemic change in the food sector. Behavix is also part of the FOOD 2030 Network.

Host & post-production: Valentina Gritti
Co-host: Lisa Grosjean (Beinfluence)
Guests: Massimiliano Carraro (Behavix), Daria Falcone (@dariaalnaturale_), Shannen Haley (@_greengal). 

This episode is part of the podcast series "Tomorrow's Table: rethinking food as we know it" co-produced by Slow Food Youth Network and ICONS for the EU-funded CLEVERFOOD project.