The Office of Strategic Communications today (Sept. 17) launched the UC Davis podcast Unfold — available online and wherever you get your podcasts — “unfolding” complex issues and discussing solutions with UC Davis experts.

Unfold is hosted by Amy Quinton, a senior public information representative; and Alexa Renee, who works in digital media.

In its inaugural season, “Feeding a Growing Population,” examines how to sustainably feed the nearly 10 billion people who are expected to inhabit the world by 2050.

The first episode is titled “What’s the Beef with Beef?” — discussing the environmental footprint (or hoof print) of cattle. Because of the methane they emit with their belches, cattle have been getting a bad rap as environmentally unfriendly sources of climate-changing greenhouse gases. That fact has some advocates urging the public to eat less meat and switch to plant-based burgers.

In looking more closely at the debate, Unfold examines how UC Davis scientists are researching ways to make cattle more sustainable.

Guests include Ermias Kebreab and Frank Mitloehner, UC Davis animal scientists; and Ken Tate, UC Davis rangeland watershed scientist; as well as Pat Brown, the founder and CEO of Impossible Foods, maker of the plant-based Impossible Burger.

The episode also takes the listener on several field trips, including to a sustainably managed ranch. Sources tell Dateline UC Davis that listeners can count on hearing some moos.

If that episode isn’t beefy enough, the podcast will also hear about biotechnologies like genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, and gene editing — and what those tools could mean for the future of food.

Unfold, with episodes to be released weekly, also will take listeners to a landfill to discuss why one-third of all the food produced in the world is wasted.

As a bonus, Unfold will have more easily digestible episodes, discussing a few of the things UC Davis knows best: wine, beer and strawberries.

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