The Social Life of Food

Across two nights, head to Parramatta Lanes for a special edition of Sydney Ideas.

Explore the science and stories shaping our food experiences and futures.

We bring together some of the best brains – a dietician, writer, scientist, systems thinker and more – to cook up new ideas and solutions to shift how we think about food for the better. They will serve inspired visions for changing the way we eat, produce and understand why food is so important. Food makes us who we are. The ways we eat together change lives and communities.

Discover the fascinating world in our foodways and systems, such as advanced AgTech for smart crops and sustainable farming; the science and culture of eating; and stories of culinary innovations influencing our tastes, markets and social feeds.

In this Sydney Ideas event, hear from:

• Juliet Bennett, a researcher applying critical social theory to systems of food production and consumption;
• Shadia Djakovic, a dietician bringing extensive experience in nutrition and health promotion;
• Peng Zhang, who is using advanced biotechnology and genetic techniques to grow resilient and disease-resistant crops such as wheat;
• Sophie Gee (host), English professor, co-host of the popular literary classics podcast The Secret Life of Books, and author of The Barbarous Feast: Writing and Eating in the Eighteenth-Century World (forthcoming, Princeton University Press);
• Plus, performance by Sydney Conservatorium of Music's (SCM) Chinese Music Ensemble, led by SCM lecturer Nicholas Ng.

Program note: It's different speakers on different nights. Full lineup and schedule to be confirmed. We're also recording so you can catch up on-demand later if you can't make it along live but for the best experience, we recommend you come along to one or both nights and make it an experience. Beyond (Sydney) Ideas, there's stacks of great Eats, Beats and Art to engage with at Parramatta Lanes.

This Sydney Ideas event is presented with the support of City of Parramatta as part of Parramatta Lanes, one of Sydney’s most exciting street festivals held over four massive nights this 22-25 October. It transforms the city's streets, laneways and car parks into a playground of Eats, Beats and Art.