Food Systems - ForumforAg

In this edition of the Food Systems podcast, speaking during an interview at this year's Forum for the Future of Agriculture Annual Conference, Alex Turk talks to Cristina Bruce, Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Social Impact at Anglo American. Cristina discussed the company's focus on sustainable agriculture and the development of polyhalite resources in the North of England. She highlighted the importance of innovation in fertilizer products to address global food security and soil health challenges. With the cost of fertilizer being impacted by the Middle East conflict, this is a timely reminder of alternative sources.

 

Recorded at the recent Forum for the Future of Agriculture Regional event in Dublin, Rose O’Donovan interviewed Ricard Ramon, Head of Unit for Policy Perspectives at DG AGRI, about the current state of the negotiations with the CAP. Joining online, Mr Ramon said a minimum CAP budget of around 300 billion euros is established to 2034, with significant additional resources available: a requirement that 10% of unallocated funds be spent in rural areas, worth around 48 billion euros, and a further 45 billion euros could be moved to agriculture, if spent early in the period. He highlighted that it is very important to continue to put a big focus on support for farmers’ incomes – the key is matching the right type of support to the right need, whether direct payments, investment, technology or risk management.

In the latest Food Systems Podcast episode, Michael Werz, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, discusses how global instability, conflict and climate change are making resilient food systems central to future geopolitical stability. Speaking with guest presenter Mark Titterington, he warns that food is increasingly being weaponized in conflicts and that fragile supply chains, export restrictions, and fertilizer dependencies threaten global security. Michael calls for stronger multilateral cooperation, greater leadership from Global South nations, and urgent reforms to trade, agricultural policy, and food governance to build a more resilient and equitable global food system.

In this episode of the Food Systems Podcast, from the Forum for the Future of Agriculture, we're diving into one of the most critical moments for European agriculture in a generation. As the EU shapes the future Common Agricultural Policy beyond 2027, we're facing a fundamental question: Can we afford the ambition we're claiming to pursue? Rose O'Donovan is joined by Barry Cowen MEP who brings his perspective on the negotiations happening right now in Brussels - and some concrete proposals for how Europe can actually deliver on its agricultural ambitions.

In this edition of the Food Systems Podcast, Tassos Haniotis discusses trends in productivity growth in the agriculture sector globally with Jessica Agnew, Director of the GAP Initiative and Managing Editor of the Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Report, Virginia Tech. They also discuss the importance of productivity growth in agriculture to meet increasing demands for food, fiber, fuels, and feed in a sustainable manner and how policy decisions - such as R&D funding levels and emission reduction targets -significantly impact productivity outcomes.

In this edition of the Food Systems Podcast, Alex Turk talks to Justin Rose, President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf, Small Agriculture and Turf Care, Europe, Africa, and Asia, Deere & Company. The discussion highlights how agricultural data, owned and controlled by farmers, can act as a “second crop” by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enabling better decision-making through platforms and AI-driven tools like precision spraying.

In our first podcast of 2026, we discuss with the Forum for the Future of Agriculture Chairman Janez Potočnik what's on the Forum's agenda for the new year ahead and get an update on some details about the Annual Conference taking place at the Square in Brussels on April 14th.

In this edition of the Food Systems Podcast, Alex Turk talks to Stientje van Veldhoven, Vice President and Regional Director for Europe, World Resources Institute (WRI) and former Minister for the Environment and Housing in the Netherlands. During the discussion they reflect on the outcomes of COP30 in Belém and explore how WRI Europe is working to accelerate progress on sustainable land use, climate action and food system transformation.

In this edition of the Food Systems Podcast, Rose O’Donovan talks to Jurgen Tack, the Secretary General of the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO) about the Forum’s recent report on financing the transition to a more resilient and sustainable agri-food system. The conversation explores tensions, new approaches to public and private financing, the potential of nature credits, and ongoing debates around the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Find out more about the report on the Forum website at https://forumforag.com/article/2025-financing-transition-report

On November 25, the Forum will host a webinar on the policy side of nutrient management. Ahead of that, this Food Systems podcast episode takes a look at efficient nutrient management and recycling, exploring how EU-funded projects like NutriBudget and ReNu2Cycle are helping to scale closed-loop nutrient systems for smarter nutrient management, to minimise negative impacts on environment and human health, and ensure sustainable food production.

Find out more about the upcoming webinar or register at https://forumforag.com/events/2025-aligning-policy-practice-and-innovation-for-sustainable-agriculture