Soil Yourself September! The Lost Harvest

The current global food system, driven by industrialisation, is conservatively estimated to cost nearly USD 20 trillion annually, primarily due to its extensive negative effects on both human health and the environment. Industrialisation has led to the widespread consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) at the expense of traditional diets; UPFs now constitute a large proportion of daily energy intake in both developed and developing countries. Poor diet and its consequences now comprise three of the four leading causes of early death globally, while malnutrition, whether from excess consumption or nutrient deficiencies, is the leading cause of poor health. Consumption of Western diets and UPFs have been closely linked to an elevated risk of physical and mental health issues, as well as premature mortality. Despite the easy access to these inexpensive, industrially produced foods, food insecurity is rife. Industrialised food production is also the leading cause of biodiversity loss and a major driver of climate change, responsible for roughly one-third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. These impacts occur through deforestation, the degradation of soils, food processing, transportation, and the severe effects that climate change imposes on agricultural productivity. Critically, biodiversity loss in the environment is closely linked to a reduction in the diversity of the human microbiome, and this is increasingly recognised as an important factor in the high burden of both infectious and non-infectious diseases. A substantial and growing body of research underscores the significant impact of unhealthy diets—characterised by excessive UPF intake and inadequate healthy dietary patterns—on mental and brain health. This talk will explore the interconnectedness between the loss of biodiversity driven by industrialised dietary patterns and the global mental health crisis that we are facing.

Join Felice for a fascinating talk!

Felice Jacka OAM is Deakin Distinguished Professor of Nutritional Psychiatry, founder and director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University, and founder and immediate-past president of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research. Professor Jacka has been responsible for the development of the highly innovative and impactful field of ‘Nutritional Psychiatry’, establishing diet as a risk factor and treatment target for mental disorders. The results of the studies she has led have been highly influential, being cited in more than 100 policy documents globally (e.g., WHO, UNICEF) and influencing clinical guidelines in psychiatry in Australia and elsewhere. She is widely recognized as international leader in the field of Nutritional Psychiatry research. She is an ISI Highly Cited Researcher (2020-2024 inclusive), putting her in the top 0.1% of publishing scientists worldwide for impact. In 2021 she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her services to Nutritional Psychiatry. She has written two books for commercial publication, including the very popular children’s book “There’s a Zoo in my Poo”.