Episode 25: The hidden impact on our plates - Juliane Caillouette-Noble, Managing Director at The Sustainable Restaurant Association

“People need to understand that the embedded carbon footprint in their dining choices is actually one of the most impactful in their lives.” It’s a new year and many of us are emerging from the festive season, where food and drink takes its place centre stage in the ads we see, the conversations we have and the celebratory plans we make. January brings with it, new year resolutions to eat more healthily, do ‘dry Jan’ and more recently give the growing trend of Veganuary a go. In this episode we speak to the brilliant Juliane Caillouette-Noble, Managing Director of The Sustainable Restaurant Association. Juliane shares her experience and knowledge around all things food, from the education needed to the impact it has on both people and planet. She talks about the work The Sustainable Restaurant Association (the SRA) does with hospitality, centred around that all important question of, ‘how can we be more sustainable when it comes to food?’ We discuss, the ‘hidden things on our plate’ and the misunderstanding around ‘food miles’. Juliane asks, ‘do we really know where our food comes from and do we consider the processes it goes through? And, if we did know, would we make better choices?’. We talk shopping behaviours and the fact that, regardless of season, we expect to be able to get whatever we want all year round, Juliane goes on to talk about marketing influencers and how the sharing of images of food is being seen as more important than the consumption of it. However, marketing’s role and influence is so much more than that. The difference marketing actions and activities can have on what we choose to eat is so powerful. We discuss how chefs have taken on the role of influencers and educators, how where dishes are positioned on the menu and how they are described can determine what we decide to eat. These positive actions, are changing communities and their attitudes towards food. You can find out more information about the important work The SRA via www.foodmadegood.org and any comments, questions, ideas, suggestions related to the podcast, Get in touch.