Connecting the Dots with Dr. Food

What can a nearly empty international flight tell us about the state of the global food system? In the June edition of Connecting the Dots with Dr. Food, Dr. David Hughes joins CFI’s Charlie Arnot from Australia after weeks of travel across Southeast Asia and Australia. From rising food and energy costs to labor shortages and shifting consumer pressures, he shares firsthand observations on how global events are reshaping food systems around the world. Tune in for a fast-paced look at the trends – and challenges – influencing food, agriculture and consumers far beyond our borders.

Global tensions, rising energy costs, AI-powered grocery shopping and childhood nutrition are all converging to shape the future of food — and the latest episode of Connecting the Dots with Dr. Food, from The Center for Food Integrity, explores what it means for consumers, farmers and the food system.In this month’s conversation, Dr. David Hughes and CFI's Charlie Arnot discuss how disruptions in global fertilizer and energy markets could impact food prices in the months ahead and why food security is increasingly being viewed as a matter of national security around the world. They also explore Tesco’s move from traditional barcodes to QR codes and how emerging AI tools may transform the grocery shopping experience through greater personalization, transparency and consumer engagement.The episode also examines new efforts in the UK to address childhood obesity through changes to school meal programs and what those changes could mean for families, schools and future eating habits.

Global conflict, rising input costs and major shifts among food companies are the focus of this month’s Connecting the Dots with Dr. Food. In the April edition, Dr. David Hughes breaks down what it all means for agriculture and the food system, explores how the war in Iran is driving higher energy and fertilizer costs and putting new pressure on farmers and food prices. He also discusses ongoing restructuring among major food companies and what it signals for the future of CPG. On a lighter note – a look at the surprising story behind the English countryside! Listen to the April edition to connect the dots shaping food today.

Tune in each month to Connecting the Dots with Dr. Food! From The Center for Food Integrity

In the February edition of Connecting the Dots with Dr. Food, CFI CEO Charlie Arnot sits down with Dr. Food, aka Dr. David Hughes, to unpack global food retail trends: protein’s continued pull and why eggs are all they’re cracked up to be, why 2026 will be a tough year for UK consumers and how GLP-1 medications are reshaping grocery and food service. Tune in for the fastest 15 minutes in food! 

Happy New Year! Dr. Food, aka Dr. David Hughes, and host Charlie Arnot, CEO of The Center for Food Integrity, kick off 2026 with a conversation about how traditions are collided with trends in Europe - from British pubs as community hubs to animal welfare regulations and changing food choices.Tune in!