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55 episodes

The fragility of food production and the economics behind Ireland’s food security risk
14/04/2026 | 54 mins.
Jim Power is one of Ireland's best-known economists. Having grown up on a farm in County Waterford, he has always had a particular passion for the economics of food production and farming. Jim recently crunched 20 years of consumer data that tell an alarming story about the viability of our food production sector, and in this episode, he joins Mick Kelly of GIY to reveal the real-world impact of aggressive retail pricing, rising input costs combined with falling incomes, and policy blind spots.
In a rapidly changing and dangerous world where we rely on imports of cheap food, they also discuss how Ireland can become more food-secure and avoid sleepwalking towards a crisis of shortages.
Check out Jim’s data HERE
S3 Ep35: Deep Medicine - Rethinking Food, Health and the Modern Food System with Dr. Rupa Marya
16/03/2026 | 59 mins.
What if the modern food system is one of the biggest drivers of disease in our society? Dr. Rupa Marya is an author and physician and a passionate advocate for deep medicine - a way of understanding health that connects our bodies to the land, our food systems and our communities.
In conversation with Mick Kelly of GIY, Rupa talks about the dysfunctional nature of our global food system and the devastating impact that it is having on our bodies and our health. Born in California to Indian immigrant parents, Rupa now lives in Ireland, having moved here to develop a program for Trinity College, Dublin and St. James' Hospital called Farming Is Medicine - a local model of a food system based in the principles and practices of care,
They also discuss the devastating impact of colonialism on our global food system, why the food you eat may be starving your valuable microbiome as well as poisoning the land, Ireland’s lack of food security, and why, despite all of the challenges, Rupa has so much hope for the future.
S3 Ep34: Bringing Chef Skills Home: Eimear Brazil's Journey from Canada to The Kitchen Shift
11/02/2026 | 1h 8 mins.
Having spent over 15 years cooking in professional kitchens across Ireland and Canada, Eimear Brazil hung up her chef's apron to dedicate herself to inspiring a generation of home cooks. After training at Waterford IT and working in prestigious restaurants including Waterford Castle, Emer moved to Canada where she rose to become head chef and later food and beverage manager at a private ski club.
But a friend's encouragement to start posting cooking tips online, and a return to her hometown of Waterford, changed everything. In just four months, Eimear’s social media following exploded from 11,000 to nearly 250,000, making The Kitchen Shift one of Ireland's most influential food pages
In this episode of Food Matters, Eimear joins Mick Kelly to share her story: from growing up wanting to be a chef since age 11, to the highs and lows of the hospitality industry, managing a team of 33 staff while battling chronic illness, and the surprising discovery that her real calling might be teaching home cooks how to bring professional techniques into their own kitchens.
S3 Ep33: Baking real bread and building communities, with Sarah Richards of Seagull Bakery
15/01/2026 | 1h 2 mins.
Sarah Richards always thought she would make her living as an artist. To support her painting, she began baking real sourdough bread, selling loaves from the boot of her car around Tramore, Co. Waterford. What started as a side project quickly took on a life of its own.

Today, Seagull Bakery is an established part of Waterford’s food scene, with three bakeries, a growing team, and a strong reputation for proper sourdough made with care, time, and heritage grains.

In this episode of Food Matters, Sarah talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about the accidental journey from art to baking, what truly defines sourdough (and how to spot “sour-faux”), the pressures facing small independent bakeries, and why questioning food traditions - even Irish soda bread - matters more than ever. At its heart, this is a story about curiosity, good food, and building something real.
S3 Ep32: Growing at Grantstown, with David Currid
04/12/2025 | 1h
David Currid grows almost 50,000 tomato plants every year at Grantstown Nurseries — the family business his parents started after moving from Dundalk to Waterford in the late 1970s. What began as a single glasshouse is now a major supplier to Ireland’s leading retailers.

But it’s a tough time to be a commercial grower. With only a handful of Irish tomato producers left, rising costs, cheap imports and tight margins make every season a battle for survival.

In this episode of Food Matters, David talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about the realities of running a small food business today, why building trust with retailers matters, where Irish food systems are heading, and the simple love of growing that keeps him going. And yes — they tackle the age-old question: fruit or vegetable?

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About Food Matters

Food Matters meets the people who are trying to reconnect us with real, healthy and sustainable food. With our food system causing huge problems for the health of people and planet, there’s a quiet revolution happening driven by passionate people in communities and food businesses around the world who want to do things differently – producing nutritious food in a way that doesn’t cost the earth. Food Matters tells their story. Join Mick Kelly, founder of GIY as he dives in to proper conversations with the most fascinating food producers, chefs, farmers, scientists, activists and other stakeholders across the food system touching on everything from the pitfalls of ultra-processed foods, food waste and pollution; seasonality, eating more plants, regenerative farming and so much more.. Only by understanding the full panorama of our food's journey can we cultivate a healthier, more sustainable food-future. Join the GIY movement across all social channels and please follow or subscribe to this podcast to continue these important conversations about global food health and sustainability.

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