Why do we waste so much food, and what does it mean for both the environment and our diets?

In this episode, hosts Adam Fogarasi and Gretchen Repasky explore food waste as a major, yet often overlooked, sustainability challenge. Drawing on research from consumer behavior and food systems, the episode highlights how a significant share of global food production is never consumed, resulting in a substantial loss of resources including water, land and energy.

The conversation examines where food waste occurs across the supply chain and shows how patterns differ between contexts. While losses often occur earlier in the system in lower-income settings, a large share of food waste in high-income countries takes place in households, driven by everyday behaviors such as over-purchasing, poor planning and confusion around date labels.

Featuring Professor Jessica Aschemann-Witzel, Aarhus University, the episode also highlights how both the type and amount of food wasted matter. Plant-based foods are often wasted in larger quantities, while animal-based products tend to carry a higher environmental impact per unit.

At its core, the episode shows that reducing food waste is one of the most effective ways to lower the environmental footprint of our diets. Rather than requiring major changes, it emphasises small, practical actions that can be integrated into everyday life and contribute to more sustainable eating patterns over time.

Episode info

Guests

Jessica Ascherman-Wietzel, Professor at Department of Management, Aarhus University

Hosts
Adam Fogarasi, PhD student, University of Copenhagen
Gretchen Repasky, Center Scientific Manager, Center for Protein Design, University of Copenhagen

Publisher
Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy

Audio engineering
Periscope

Producer
Adam Fogarasi
Gretchen Repasky

Why is it so difficult to change the way we eat, even when we know what a healthy and sustainable diet looks like?

In this episode, hosts Adam Fogarasi and Gretchen Repasky explore why dietary change is not simply a matter of knowledge or willpower. Drawing on insights from consumer behaviour and public health research, the episode highlights how food choices are shaped by habits, routines and immediate factors such as price, convenience and taste, rather than deliberate decision-making .

The conversation examines how culture, identity and social context influence eating patterns, and why dietary recommendations that ignore these factors often fail in practice. It also explores the limitations of information-based campaigns, showing that behaviour change typically requires a combination of motivation, capability and opportunity, rather than a single intervention.

Featuring Professor Jessica Ascherman-Wietzel, Aarhus University and Senior Researcher Sara Pires, Technical University of Denmark, the episode connects individual food choices with broader structural influences, including food environments, policy measures and accessibility.

At its core, the episode argues that lasting dietary change depends on realism. Rather than promoting idealised diets, effective strategies build on existing habits, cultural preferences and everyday constraints. Small, gradual adjustments—adapted to real lives—are more likely to lead to meaningful and sustained change over time.

Episode info

Guests,

Jessica Ascherman-Wietzel, Professor at Department of Management, Aarhus University
Sara Monteiro Pires, National Food Institute, Technical University Denmark

Hosts
Adam Fogarasi, PhD student, University of Copenhagen
Gretchen Repasky, Center Scientific Manager, Center for Protein Design, University of Copenhagen

Publisher
Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy

Audio engineering
Periscope

Producer
Adam Fogarasi
Gretchen Repasky

Is a diet that is good for the planet always good for our health?

In this episode, hosts Adam Fogarasi and Gretchen Repasky explore the relationship between environmental sustainability and human health, and where the two do not fully align. While many sustainable dietary patterns are associated with reduced risk of chronic disease, the episode shows that important trade-offs remain.

Drawing on perspectives from public health nutrition and environmental research, the conversation highlights how diets rich in plant-based foods often benefit both health and the planet. At the same time, it examines cases where nutritionally valuable foods carry a higher environmental cost, and why moderation and context matter.

Featuring Professor Christina Dahm, Aarhus University, and Matilda Nordman and Professor Olivier Jolliet from the Technical University of Denmark, the episode also introduces how scientists assess the health impact of diets, including methods that translate food choices into measurable effects on disease risk and life expectancy.

At its core, the episode shows that sustainable and healthy diets often move in the same direction, but not always at the same pace. Understanding these trade-offs can help us make more informed and balanced choices without aiming for perfection.

Episode info

Guests

Christina Dahm, Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus Universit, Matilda Nordman, MSc, PhD; Researcher, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University Denmark, Olivier Jolliet, Professor, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University Denmark

Hosts

Adam Fogarasi, PhD student, University of Copenhagen, Gretchen Repasky, Center Scientific Manager, Center for Protein Design, University of Copenhagen

Publisher: Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy

Audio engineering: Periscope

Producer: Adam Fogarasi, Gretchen Repasky