From hidden vulnerabilities to future-ready solutions – our second Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute podcast puts the resilience of today’s food system under the spotlight and asks what it will take to strengthen it.

Hosted by the KHNI and moderated by Mary Shelman, founder of the Shelman Group, this session brought together Wolfram Schlenker, the Ray A. Goldberg Professor of the Global Food System at Harvard University, and Juan Aguiriano, Group Head of Marketing and Sustainability at Kerry.

The discussion examined how climate shocks, environmental pressures, and geopolitical volatility are exposing real fragility – driving all-round disruption leading to unpredictability, supply instability, and price variability.

The panel explored the growing complexity shaping food and agriculture and why resilience must sit at the centre of every decision.  Embedding sustainable resilience into risk management was identified as strengthening a company’s ability to forecast and anticipate disruption and ultimately generate long‑term value.

Speakers highlighted the complexities around trade-offs between sustainability, affordability, resilience, and nutrition – while at the same time meeting consumer expectations.  They pointed to the expanding role of data and AI in enabling more resilient production systems, smarter and more adaptive supply chains, and better-informed consumer decision-making.

The message is clear: sustainable resilience is no longer a cost – it’s core to risk management and long-term growth.  Food’s future lies not in producing more, but in producing better — driven by partnership, innovation, and a mindset built for resilience.

Botanical ingredients like ashwagandha are facing growing scrutiny across Europe, often fuelled by misinformation and outdated myths.  Despite centuries of safe use, these ancient botanicals are now subject to misplaced concerns.  To bring clarity to the conversation, the first episode of KHNI Talks podcasts features scientific experts who take a deep dive into the evidence surrounding ashwagandha, separating fact from fiction.

Host Brian Short is joined by Dr. Thomas Brendler, founder of Plantifile and Guest Editor of a special series of papers on ashwagandha in Phytotherapy Research, and Dr. Mukesh Summan, former FDA toxicologist and current Global Director of Toxicology, at Kerry.  Together, they explore the latest scientific data and regulatory perspectives to help listeners better understand the safety and efficacy of this widely used botanical.