Video

This page contains a hand-picked selection of YouTube, Vimeo, and other media about food and food-related topics. All videos referenced on this page are suitable for instruction and subtitled in English (Supplemental transcriptions are also available for each.)

^{Note: If you would like to suggest media suitable for inclusion on this, send us a title and a link. (Please, don't send us actual video files. Thanks.) All recommendations should meet web accessibility standards and include closed captioning.}  

 
“Agricultural Technology and Productivity Continue to Make Gains and Ensure U.S. Tom Vilsack, Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture / Food Security” (2014)
Council on Foreign Relations
https://youtu.be/QkX1sjw53Gg
runtime: 01:01:15
With the 2014 farm bill now enacted into law, U.S. agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack visits CFR to discuss the USDA's policy priorities with Roger Altman of Evercore Partners. Vilsack credits advanced agricultural technology and the productivity of American farmers with maintaining the country's status as a food-secure nation, despite a growing population and a shrinking agricultural sector. He also discusses the potential impact that climate change may have on American farmers, as well as the agricultural aspects of the ongoing trade negotiations with the EU and Asia.  The Renewing America series examines how policies at home directly influence the economic and military strength of the United States and its ability to act in the world.

“Alan Watts Breaks Down What's Wrong With the World” (1970) 
Alan Watts / The Canuckdian
https://youtu.be/_LXiSPpfM54 (Part 1) 
runtime: 00:12:09
https://youtu.be/NCv32GAUG7w  (Part 2)
runtime: 00:03:58
Philosopher Alan Watts foreshadows the corporate manipulation of the food supply through high yield crops and proposes a number of things we can do to change our attitudes towards life and the planet.

“Are Insects the Future of Food?” (2014)
Megan Miller | TEDxManhattan/TED Talks
https://youtu.be/BwC4WRKi5QY 
runtime: 00:05:51
Megan Miller is founder of Bitty, a San Francisco-based food startup that uses high-protein cricket flour as the basis for a line of energy bars and gluten-free baked goods. Bitty seeks to remove cultural taboos around eating insects and popularize them as a delicious, sustainable ingredient that may help alleviate global food scarcity. Megan's passions for food, sustainability and innovation led her circuitously to the creation of Bitty.

“The Death Of Bees Explained – Parasites, Poison and Humans” (2015)
Kurzgesagt / In a Nutshell
https://youtu.be/GqA42M4RtxE 
runtime: 00:06:19
In 2015 the bees are still dying in masses. Which at first seems not very important until you realize that one-third of all food humans consume would disappear with them. Millions could starve. The foes bees face are truly horrifying—some are a direct consequence of human greed. We need to help our small buzzing friends or we will face extremely unpleasant consequences. THE NOVA PROJECT: www.nova.org.au.

“Digital Food” (2015)
VPRO Documentary 
https://youtu.be/ouXk3e7G0nQ
runtime: 00:47:22
Modern food production is largely dependent on fossil fuels. Now that we are beginning to reach the end of them, the main question remains: How will we feed a global population of 9 billion people in 2050? In the Netherlands, Belgium and Silicon Valley, numerous startups have sprung up that use smart technology, big data and new distribution systems to find solutions for this issue.

“Fight Climate Change, Eat Less Meat” (2015)
The Daily Conversation
https://youtu.be/lLhEmGx8YQE
runtime: 00:03:50
Meat consumption is the leading cause of climate change. Animal agriculture accounts for roughly half of global emissions. On average, each American eats 275 pounds of meat a year, compared to the global average of 90 pounds per person (41 kg).

“Food Waste Is the World's Dumbest Problem” (2017)
Jeff Wheelock, Zak Long, Larissa Branin, Nicolette Bethea, Vox / University of California
https://youtu.be/6RlxySFrkIM
runtime: 00:09:21
The fourth episode of Climate Lab, a six-part series produced by the University of California in partnership with Vox. Hosted by Emmy-nominated conservation scientist Dr. M. Sanjayan, the videos explore the surprising elements of our lives that contribute to climate change and the groundbreaking work being done to fight back. Featuring conversations with experts, scientists, thought leaders and activists, the series takes what can seem like an overwhelming problem and breaks it down into manageable parts: from clean energy to food waste, religion to smartphones. Sanjayan is an alum of UC Santa Cruz and a Visiting Researcher at UCLA. Check back next Wednesday for the next episode. Visit http://climate.universityofcalifornia... for more.

“The Global Food Waste Scandal” (2012)
Tristram Stuart, TED Talks
https://youtu.be/cWC_zDdF74s
runtime: 00:14:15
Western countries throw out nearly half of their food, not because it's inedible -- but because it doesn't look appealing. Tristram Stuart delves into the shocking data of wasted food, calling for a more responsible use of global resources.

“The Hidden Costs of Hamburgers” (2012)
Carrie Ching, Food for 9 Billion Project / Reveal
https://youtu.be/ut3URdEzlKQ
runtime: 00:07:51
Americans love hamburgers--we eat about three burgers a week. But what are the hidden environmental costs? This animation is part of The Food for 9 Billion series, a yearlong look at the challenge of feeding the world at a time of social and environmental change.

“The Hidden Reason For Poverty the World Needs to Address Now.” (2015)
Gary Haugen, TED Talks
https://youtu.be/ofsncCF9O_U
runtime: 00:22:06
Collective compassion has meant an overall decrease in global poverty since the 1980s, says civil rights lawyer Gary Haugen. Yet for all the world's aid money, there's a pervasive hidden problem keeping poverty alive. Haugen reveals the dark underlying cause we must recognize and act on now.

“How Sugar Affects the Brain” (2014)
Nicole Avena, TED-Ed / TED Talks
https://youtu.be/lEXBxijQREo
runtime: 00:05:02
When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation.

“How to Feed the World, Explained in 2.5 Minutes” (2015)
Nathanael Johnson / Grist
https://youtu.be/XtFU2_RydcQ
runtime: 00:02:28
Grist food writer Nathanael Johnson unpacks and summarizes a half year of research in a neatly packaged 2.5 minute video. If this piqued your interest, check out the rest of his writing here: grist.org/series/hungry-hungry-humans. 

“How To Green the World’s Deserts and Reverse Climate Change” (2013)
Allan Savory, TED Talks
https://youtu.be/vpTHi7O66pI 
runtime: 00:22:19
"Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert," begins Allan Savory in this quietly powerful talk. And terrifyingly, it's happening to about two-thirds of the world's grasslands, accelerating climate change and causing traditional grazing societies to descend into social chaos. Savory has devoted his life to stopping it. He now believes -- and his work so far shows -- that a surprising factor can protect grasslands and even reclaim degraded land that was once desert.

“The Massive Food Crisis You Haven’t Heard About” (2016)
Center for Strategic & International Studies
https://youtu.be/mSETZbNqXyU
runtime: 00:04:32
In Southern Africa almost 40 million people will likely need emergency assistance before the year is out. The weather system El Nino is causing abnormal weather conditions, wreaking havoc in the region. CSIS saw the impact for itself in June, during a visit to Mozambique and Malawi.

“Obesity + Hunger = 1 Global Food Issue” (2010)
Ellen Gustafson, TED Talks
https://youtu.be/Z7CtKDNf2RI
runtime: 00:09:41
Co-creator of the philanthropic FEED bags, Ellen Gustafson says hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin. At TEDxEast, she launches The 30 Project -- a way to change how we farm and eat in the next 30 years, and solve the global food inequalities behind both epidemics. 

“A Rare Look Inside The Doomsday Seed Vault Deep In The Arctic” (2016)
Seeker
https://youtu.be/uAl8dSpkNWs
runtime: 00:05:23
If society endures an apocalypse what will we eat?! Seed vaults are our food-preservation time capsule for the future. Deep inside a mountain on a remote island in the Svalbard archipelago, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, lies the Global Seed Vault.

“This Computer Will Grow Your Food in the Future” (2016)
Caleb Harper / TED Talks
https://youtu.be/LEx6K4P4GJc
runtime: 00:15:55
What if we could grow delicious, nutrient-dense food, indoors anywhere in the world? Caleb Harper, director of the Open Agriculture Initiative at the MIT Media Lab, wants to change the food system by connecting growers with technology. Get to know Harper's "food computers" and catch a glimpse of what the future of farming might look like.
“Urban Farming: Fixing the Broken Food System and Improving Health” (2016)

Paul Myers / TEDxLiverpool, TED Talks
https://youtu.be/5AcjM5BKfRQ 
runtime: 00:16:36
Dr. Paul Meyers explores the deep-seated problems with our current food system, and the devastating effects this is having on our environment and our health. Meyers and the team at Farm Urban believe that by embedding aquaponic systems (where fish and plants are grown together in a closed-loop ecosystem without soil) into the fabric of society they can engage and inspire people to connect with their environment, explore their relationship with food, and start to build a sustainable and resilient food system

“What Are You Really Eating?” (2017)
Thoughty2
https://youtu.be/GHjpvpZyuow
runtime: 00:18:40
Is the food you eat fake? Here's the truth behind what's really in the food you eat every day.
 
“What's Wrong with Our Food System” (2010)
Birke Baehr, TEDxNextGenerationAsheville / Twin Path Productions
https://youtu.be/F7Id9caYw-Y
runtime: 00:05:21
Hello. My name is Birke Baehr and I'm 11 years old. I came here today to talk about what's wrong with our food system.

“World Food Crisis Part 1 (Global Food Crisis Special Report)” (2012)
Steve Shenk / Belligerent Politics
https://youtu.be/1hYjisN6LD0
runtime: 00:51:28
Remember a crisis can strike anytime. This is a special report on one of the most important subjects out in our world today. Our food supply shortage.