E03: Laurence Jeangros − The upsides and downsides of sharing food across the globe

In this episode, my friend Laurence and I talk about the upsides and downsides of global food trading schemes. Laurence tells us how agricultural practices have already influenced local climates during historical times and explains what role global power dynamics play in our food systems. She shares with us why she thinks food trading schemes are of global importance to increase our resilience towards the effects of climate change. Finally, we discuss why young people's voices in international relations matter, and why diversity is so important.
Laurence Jeangros is an environmental scientists with a bachelor's degrees from the University of Lausanne and a master's degree from the Swiss Federal Institut of Technology in Zurich. During her studies, she has spent a year in Chile as an exchange student. For her master thesis, she explored power dynamics within tomato food systems in Ghana. Laurence has spent a year interning at the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations organizations in Rome and is currently working at the Laboratory of Environmental and Urban Econocmis at the Swiss Federal Institut of Technology in Lausanne.

00:01:01 Of becoming interested in environmental sciences
00:02:44 How the climate movement helps us in validating our feelings regarding climate change
00:05:48 Food as a physical and symbolic intersection between humans and the natural world
00:07:24 The positive leverage food system could have
00:09:25 Why international relations matter in our food systems
00:10:00 The history of food exchange
00:12:55 Global exploitations in food systems: Produce exports in Chile
00:14:07 Global exploitations in food systems: The avocado trend in Chile
00:16:10 Global exploitations in food systems: Rice imports in Ghana
00:20:14 What are power dynamics and why do they matter?
00:20:27 Humanitarian aid, rice and power dynamics
00:26:57 Global justice in our food systems
00:31:44 Positive communication
00:32:22 Upsides of global food trading schemes in the face of climate change: Resilience and mitigation
00:35:50 Creating bonds and building peace over international exchanges
00:37:19 Why diversity is so important for resilience
00:39:40 Why young peoples voices matter
00:44:50 How we could include young voices better into our political landscapes
00:47:17 Closing questions