We’re serving up this issue of The Philanthropist in several courses, because our focus this time is food – a topic that’s more varied than most. Food is everything.

The food we eat keeps us healthy – or makes us sick. And the perfect recipe is just a click away on YouTube. Some swear by superfoods like chia seeds, quinoa, kale and avocado. Others bake sourdough bread. Yet ready meals are still hugely popular.

Food is meant to be relished. But a lot of us nowadays feel guilty about eating meat. Is pasture-based farming or the nose-to-tail philosophy the answer to our dilemma? One thing is clear: food is not just regional – it’s global. Only 50 per cent of our food is produced here in Switzerland. What we eat has an impact on nature: overfished seas, depleted soil, destruction of the rainforests and a permanent loss of biodiversity.

We are eating our climate, we are eating our planet and we are eating its diversity. We need to apply a range of effective approaches and find solutions that will help save our planet, because it is in serious danger. What sort of climate does an apple tree need, what kind of soil or companion planting will help a leek thrive? One thing is certain: we have become totally disconnected from the production of our food. And we need to restore that connection as quickly as possible.

Bon appétit – enjoy reading!