April 28, 2025

The Paradox of Plenty

More abundant and cheaper food is not better for us or the planet.

The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the cost of diet-related ill health is somewhere around $7 trillion, far more than the “profits” of food and agriculture. Those profits, like the cheaper, more plentiful food they stem from, take no account of the external costs of climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and, ultimately, human health.

Professor Tim Benton has spent his career working at the interface between agricultural and food politics and environment. He told me that we know exactly what to do, we just won’t do it.

Listen to our conversation.

Take care