Edible Empire

This is episode 1 of a six-part series on food imperialism. Welcome to Edible Empire, a podcast by Planet Pulse Pacific about the hidden cost of our food.
We celebrate flavours, but rarely the people behind them. This podcast uncovers how food—once shaped by empire and now by corporate power—has long been used to control land, labour, and cultures.
This episode explores how global food systems are shaped by historical power structures and capitalist mechanisms that prioritise corporate profit and "cheap food" over the health of ecosystems and human communities.
Where does our food come from? Who works in the fields that produce our fruit and vegetables? Who is making a profit from the food we eat? This episode sets the scene for the series, introducing the concept of food supply chains—the intricate trade routes that keep supermarket shelves stocked with produce all year round. But how did these global networks come to be? Tracing the history of our globalised food systems, we uncover why our food systems look the way they do today. Featuring Professors Harriet Friedmann and Raj Patel.
Professor Harriet Friedmann begins by tracing how global power shifted from a British-led system to one dominated by the US dollar. She explains that this change transformed how the world eats, replacing diverse, sustainable local farming with industrial monocultures like wheat and palm oil. This shift prioritised international profit over local cultures and environmental health.
Building on this history, Professor Raj Patel exposes the deception of "cheap" food. He argues that low prices are only possible by pushing the true costs onto the planet and underpaid workers. According to Patel, the global food system isn't broken; it is designed to make hunger profitable. He concludes with a call for food sovereignty, demanding we return power to the people who actually grow and harvest our food.
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Resources from this episode:
https://harrietfriedmann.ca 
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Harriet-Friedmann 
https://www.sociology.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/harriet-friedmann
https://rajpatel.org/
https://www.antsandgrasshopper.org/
https://rajpatel.org/2009/10/27/stuffed-and-starved/
To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Welcome to Edible Empire - hosted by Planet Pulse Pacific, this is a podcast series about the hidden cost of our food. We’re your co-hosts, Neal Haddaway, Benjamin Eitelberg, and Emma Strutt, with Kelly Allum on editing.
When we talk about food, we tend to focus on recipes, flavours and dinner times. But what we rarely discuss is where our food comes from. And we don’t mean which supermarket - we mean the ingredients that make up our food: where did they come from, who grew the vegetables, picked the fruit and processed the oils? What’s life like for them, and what does their environment look like as a result of what they’re exporting for us to eat?
From the plantations of the British Empire to the smart agriculture within ultra-modern greenhouses, food has always been a tool of power and of profit. This is a story of how some cultures were dismantled to feed others, and how those empires live on through corporate control - this is a podcast about Food Imperialism. This series explores the complex, often uncomfortable intersection of appetite and authority. We are looking at food imperialism: how the quest for calories and commodities reshaped the map, redefined our identities, and continues to influence who gets to eat, and what, in the twenty-first century.
In this introductory episode, we introduce the concept of food imperialism and the inspiration for this species series. We discuss some of the upcoming content we’ll be publishing in the coming weeks, along with our exciting, world-leading expert guests. 
Join us for an appetiser!
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Resources from this episode:
https://www.thesalmonandthetomato.org 
To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.

Kal Glanznig is one of Australia’s leading youth ocean and climate champions, a true powerhouse inspiring a new generation of hopeful, action-driven environmental leaders. In the past year alone, he has reached more than 20,000 people through keynote talks, school programs, and Q&A screenings of his documentary Rising Up. Elected in 2024 as the youngest independent Councillor in the Sutherland Shire, he is now driving local climate action through practical and forward-thinking sustainability initiatives.
Kal first made headlines in high school after delivering a $100,000 solar project that inspired more than 20 schools to follow suit. He went on to co-found Plastic Free Cronulla, contributing to New South Wales’ ban on single-use plastics, and Blue Minds, a national program supporting young Australians with eco-anxiety and environmental leadership. An award-winning speaker, he has also represented Australia in water polo at the Youth World Championships. Kal reminds us that while no one person can change the world alone, the future is still unwritten—and every action we take creates a ripple. Take a listen and feel inspired to be part of that change.
In this episode, we discuss:
Kal’s background in high-level sport and how it sparked his passion for the environment
Why meaningful change starts at home, no matter how wicked the problem
His documentary Rising Up, including its screening at COP30 in Brazil and its role in sharing Pacific stories
Driving change through the ballot box and his journey into local council
The importance of genuinely engaging young people, and the powerful perspectives they bring
The role of athletes in activism and advocacy
Eco-anxiety and its impact on young people, and how Blue Minds is helping build resilience and leadership
Key lessons Kal has learned from young people, and his advice for those wanting to make a difference in their communities
Why we don’t have to do everything, but we can all do something, starting in our own backyard
What’s next for Blue Minds and his upcoming documentary, The Plastic Country
To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Kate Wylie, GP and Executive Director of Doctors for the Environment Australia, and a long-time friend of the show. One of Australia’s leading voices on climate and health, Kate helps us unpack the United Nations’ Global Water Bankruptcy report and what it means for all of us.
Put simply: we are running out of water. We’re using more than we have in supply, so much that in many places we’re pushing past the point of recovery and can’t repay our debts. Driven by climate change, over-extraction, and pollution, this growing ‘water bankruptcy’ is fuelling food and water insecurity, disease, and deepening global inequities.
Closer to home, we explore what this looks like in Australia, from the declining Murray-Darling to pressures on the Great Artesian Basin, and why this crisis is as much about public health as it is about the environment.
A sharp, urgent conversation about one of the defining challenges of our time and the role we all must play in protecting the resource that underpins life itself.
In this episode, we discuss:
Kate’s background and her work at the intersection of human and planetary health
The UN’s Global Water Bankruptcy report and Kate’s recent InSight+ article outlining what this means for us in Australia
Our unsustainable water use and the industries driving the greatest extraction
The deep inequities of water insecurity, with the Global South bearing the greatest burden
Key health concerns, including unsafe drinking water, food insecurity, and the mental health effects of drought
Rising risks of vector-borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue Fever, and Ross River Virus
The dual extremes of drought and flooding, and their impact on food systems and livelihoods
Australia’s unique challenges as the driest inhabited continent, and the need for more sustainable agriculture
Growing strain on critical systems, from the Murray-Darling Basin to the Great Artesian Basin, and flow-on effects like South Australia’s algal bloom
The hidden water and energy costs of modern technology, including AI and cloud computing, and why we can’t ‘tech’ our way out of this
The critical role of health professionals in advocating for climate and water security
Why climate and environmental health must be embedded in medical education
The vital work of Doctors for the Environment Australia and their latest advocacy efforts, including an open letter to Australian governments calling for an end to our dependence on global oil—add your name to the submission here
To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Clancy Lester (AKA Bee Man), a passionate environmental educator, documentary director, and native bee advocate, whose work is dedicated to protecting pollinators and rewilding the places we live. 
Specialising in native bee conservation, native plants, and science communication, Clancy combines hands-on ecological research with a gift for making complex ideas accessible and engaging. Through his social enterprise Bees and Blossoms, Clancy creates native bee habitats, delivers workshops, and champions nature-based climate solutions across urban and regional Australia.
Driven by a deep commitment to restoring biodiversity, he shares practical, hopeful insights into how Australia’s native bees are faring, and what we can all do to support pollinators and wildlife, no matter where we live.
In this episode, we explore:
Clancy’s background, his connection to the natural world, and how his fascination with native bees began
His experience in the Wattle Fellowship at the University of Melbourne and working with remote Aboriginal communities in north-east Arnhem Land
Bee Hotels 101: What they are and why they matter
The challenges pollinators face in urban environments, and how cities can better support them through habitat and native planting
Clancy’s workshops, what gives him hope for the future, and how he inspires people to connect with nature
His role as Director of 7 Seasons, and key moments from making the documentary that reshaped his thinking
The importance of genuine collaboration and two-way learning with Indigenous communities
Why honouring thousands of years of on-Country knowledge is essential for climate adaptation
Staying connected to Country in urban environments
Using social media for climate advocacy
A fun breakdown of Bee Movie—what it got right (and wrong) about pollinators
To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.