As well as being a global health crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic is intricately linked with food – from the origins of the virus through to the impact on international food systems, the food industry and the wider food economy.

In this podcast series, leading figures from the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast focus on the areas where the pandemic has caused the biggest shockwaves, from international disruption to supply and demand to the fierce debate around the future of agriculture and environmental sustainability.

Along the way, we discuss the impact on animals and wildlife; the opportunity for greater nutrition during lockdown; and how our local food industry is coping. In Episode 1, Dr Simon Doherty, Vice-President of the British Veterinary Association and a Senior Lecturer at IGFS talks about the impact of Covid 19 on farm animals and farming systems – and even our pets.