New food programme on RTE visits Kildare
RTE's FOOD MATTERS programme travels to Kildare to talk to the Irish Wildlife Trust.
The brand new series which uncovers Ireland's food sustainability, and explores how the food system is a major contributor to the climate change emergency.
In Programme three: Stop Food Pollution, Michael Kelly heads to Kildare to visit Paul Fogarty from the Irish Wildlife Trust to discover some of the effects of food pollution getting into our waterways and farmlands.
The series sees GIY (Grow it Yourself) founder Michael travelling throughout the country, meeting farmers, food producers, food experts, climate experts and chefs.
He also talks to economists, ecologists and activists as he digs deep to uncover the complexity of the Irish food system and how it works, delivers and impacts the environment.
"The food system is a major contributor to the climate emergency, and the choices we make each day around food can be some of the most compelling pieces of climate action we can take in our lives", says Michael.
"There are inspiring solutions to the problems in our food system happening right under our noses. In FOOD MATTERS I travel around Ireland exploring these issues and meeting the people and projects that can help change the food system, one meal at a time".
FOOD MATTERS is filmed at GROW HQ in Waterford, the home of GIY, as well as on location in counties Cork, Kildare, Dublin, Westmeath, Kerry, Meath, Wicklow, Tipperary, Limerick, Kilkenny and Wexford.
In Waterford he meets lecturer in regenerative farming Mike Walsh who has completely removed pollutants from a farm. He also visits young dairy farmer James Foley to talk about his story of converting to fully organic farming.
Heading to Dublin, Michael and journalist John Gibbons discuss the impact of plastic on our planet, before Michael meets environmental lawyer and activist Mindy O’Brien to talk about the use of plastic in our food system.
Michael then visits Jess Dollinger at the Good Neighbour shop in Dundrum, where they chat about the shop's solution to food pollution – food that’s grown organically, locally, and sold in the zero-waste shop with no plastic in sight.
FOOD MATTERS is produced by David Hare of InProductionTV and Scéal Creative for RTE, and supported by the EPA Stop Food Waste and ReThink Ireland campaign.