Food Matters

GIY
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 20h ago

    Former Minister Pippa Hackett on trying to change Ireland’s food system

    Changing a country’s food system takes longer than an election cycle. In this episode of Food Matters, Mick Kelly speaks with organic farmer and former Minister of State Pippa Hackett about what it takes to pursue long-term change from inside government, and what happens when political momentum moves on. Pippa reflects on her time as a Green Party minister in the Department of Agriculture, where her responsibilities included biodiversity, land use, forestry, horticulture and organic farming. She discusses the growth of Ireland’s organic sector during her tenure, the resistance that can meet new policy ideas, and why meaningful environmental reform often takes years before its impact becomes visible. Mick and Pippa also discuss the dramatic decline in the number of commercial growers, the power of supermarkets, the lack of sustained state support and the risks this creates for Ireland’s food security.  Pippa also explains why her own family farm converted to organic production, how lower-input and regenerative approaches can make farms more resilient, and why healthy soil must be treated as the foundation of a sustainable food system. NOTE: This conversation was recorded several months before publication. Some policy schemes and political developments referenced in the discussion have progressed since the recording, including:   1. The multi-species sward and red-clover schemes  Since this conversation was recorded, both the Multi-Species Sward and Red Clover Silage Measures were reopened for 2025.   2. TAMS solar funding  At the time of recording, the relevant tranche of solar funding had been exhausted. The TAMS solar scheme is currently open for applications.   3. The Agri-Food Regulator  Since recording, additional data-gathering powers have been announced for the Agri-Food Regulator and are scheduled to take effect at the end of 2026.   4. Mercosur  This conversation was recorded before the EU–Mercosur interim trade agreement came into provisional application on 1 May 2026. Larry Murrin remains chair of Bord Bia, following further controversy, protests and an agreed governance review.

  2. Jul 10

    The small family farm that bet it all on organic

    What would make a conventional tillage farmer walk away from the type of farming he had always practised and start all over again? For Kevin Scully, founder of The Merry Mill organic farm & mill in County Laois, the turning point came in the cab of a tractor. After becoming unwell while spraying crops, he began questioning not only the chemicals he was using, but the economics of modern farming itself. Nearly 30 years later, Kevin has built Ireland's first organic gluten-free oat mill, producing premium foods that are shipped to customers around the world. In this episode of Food Matters, Kevin joins Mick Kelly of GIY to share the remarkable story of how he changed up the entire business model and work practices of his family farm to build a system that was healthier, more sustainable, and far more economically viable.  They also discuss the hidden costs of our modern food system, the role of glyphosate and chemical inputs, supporting farmers to produce healthier food, and why Ireland has the potential to become a global leader in premium organic food production.

  3. Jun 9

    Could there be another famine in Ireland?

    During an extended trip through South America, Damien Regan's eyes were opened to the vulnerabilities of our global food system and the risks they pose to food security. He returned home determined to better understand these challenges and to help build practical solutions. In this episode of Food Matters, Damien talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about food security, global supply chains, and why Ireland's dependence on imported food and resources may leave us more exposed than we realise. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons we can learn from history, and the steps communities can take to create a more secure, healthy and sustainable food future.

  4. May 13

    The Burren and the Future of Farming, with Brendan Dunford

    Brendan Dunford grew up on a farm in County Waterford, but it was the landscape of the Burren that shaped his life’s work. Over the past two decades, he has worked closely with farmers and local communities to show how farming and biodiversity can work together, not against each other. In this episode of Food Matters, Brendan talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about the pioneering BurrenLIFE project, why listening to farmers matters, and the challenges facing both food production and nature today. Along the way, he reflects on landscape, trust, local knowledge, and why farming can be as much about care and creativity as it is about production.

  5. Apr 14

    The fragility of food production and the economics behind Ireland’s food security risk

    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

  6. Mar 16

    S3 Ep35: Deep Medicine - Rethinking Food, Health and the Modern Food System with Dr. Rupa Marya

    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.

  7. Feb 11

    S3 Ep34: Bringing Chef Skills Home: Eimear Brazil's Journey from Canada to The Kitchen Shift

    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.

  8. Jan 15

    S3 Ep33: Baking real bread and building communities, with Sarah Richards of Seagull Bakery

    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.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    GIY
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Food Matters
  • Show Website
    Food Matters

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