With a rich background spanning over two decades in the agri-food sector across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Barbara Bray - the Honorary Officer for International Affairs at The Nutrition Society - shares her expert perspective on the value of organic food, nutrition, and global trends in food security. As co-chair of the prestigious Oxford Farming Conference, her insights are not only educational but also highly relevant.
Barbara delves into the definition of 'healthy' and discusses how different organic and conventional farming products impact our diets. Learn how the variety of food, more than the farming practice, can influence the levels of vitamins and minerals in our diets, and why these differences may not significantly affect human health.
The episode further explores the challenges around food labeling and the confusion it can cause for consumers navigating between conventional and organic products. As marketing labels become louder, how does a consumer discern the difference and make conscious food choices?
Barbara highlights the powerful role consumers play in shaping farming production and the consequential impact on the environment. Drawing connections to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, she discusses how public health campaigns emphasize the importance of fresh produce in our diets, yet underscores the need for diversity for health benefits. Delving into England's first National Food Strategy, Barbara sheds light on the international trade landscape for organic produce. Discover how varying organic legal definitions across different countries like the US, Australia, and Brazil create a non-level playing field for trade in organics.
Join us in this illuminating discussion as we kickstart the debate on marketing in the agricultural sector, providing you a wealth of knowledge to make informed choices about your food and its impact on the wider world. Don't miss this episode, packed with expert insights and thought-provoking discussions.
Looking for additional insight? Catch the full episode here.
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Barbara Bray -
Roger Kerr -
Jeff Moyer -
Cristina Micheloni
- Farmers and consumers are all aware of how soil quality affects the overall health of the planet and the earth.
- Barbara Bray co-chaired the 2022 Oxford Farming Conference.
- Denmark observes National Organic Day on the third Sunday of April, when the country's 60,000 organic cows are released from their barns to graze for the summer.
In this series
MBE, PHD RESEARCHER AND CONSULTANT IN NUTRITION, QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST
Barbara is a PhD researcher in nutrition at Queen’s University Belfast, a TEDx speaker and director of her own consultancy, Alo Solutions Ltd.
She speaks at food and agriculture events, she has spoken on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today and represented the Private Sector Mechanism in speeches at the UN Committee for Food Security in Rome.
Barbara is passionate about diet and food. Her Nuffield Farming project on ‘Vegetable Production For Specific Nutritional Need’ looked at international food policies and private initiatives to promote consumption of vegetables that benefit our health.
Roger Kerr comes from a farming background and has worked on various farms over the years. He helped establish Calon Wen, the Welsh organic dairy farmers co-operative in 2000 and became their Managing Director. Calon Wen were the first ever to secure a branded organic milk listing in a U.K. major retailer along with developing branded butter and cheese lines.
Roger is also Chairman of the U.K. Certifiers Group, the U.K. representative on the IFOAM EU Council, the Director of Finance of the Organic Trade Board and the Pasture Fed Livestock Association, and a Trustee of the Organic Research Centre.
Jeff has been working at Rodale Institute for over 45 years and became CEO in September of 2019. He was project leader for the highly acclaimed Organic No-Till project and is the author of two books on this subject: “Organic No-Till Farming – Advancing No-Till Agriculture Crops, Soil, Equipment” and “Roller/Crimper No-Till – Advancing No-Till Agriculture.” His vast experience and knowledge regarding organic farming has provided the media with a reliable source and perspective for information on current agricultural issues.
Cristina Micheloni is an agronomist with a degree in Ecological Agriculture from Wageningen University, and has been engaged in organic farming since early '90s, when she set up the first Documentation and Dissemination Centre for Organic Farming in Italy. Cristina combines advisory activity with on-farm research and regulatory development. In her Region, Friuli Venezia Giulia, she established a specialized advisory service for organic farmers. In the last years, she started several experimental activities on-farm on topics such as organic no-till, new value chains and plant-based proteins.
