# The food-energy nexus

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2023-09-08
- Length: 38m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-09-08-the-food-energy-nexus

## Summary

Dr. Michael Webber, a professor at UT Austin and CTO of Energy Impact Partners, explains the food-energy nexus, noting that while photosynthesis is inefficient (0.3%), it provides robust energy storage. He breaks down the U.S. food system's 10% national energy consumption into categories like fertilizers, transportation, and the cold chain, highlighting that 30-50% of edible food is wasted. Webber argues against using edible crops for fuel, advocating instead for waste streams like manure, and discusses how climate change impacts productivity while indoor agriculture shifts energy use from diesel to electricity.

## Chapters

- [2:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-09-08-the-food-energy-nexus#t=134) Introduction: Photosynthesis efficiency and food as energy
- [10:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-09-08-the-food-energy-nexus#t=642) Energy consumption in the U.S. food system breakdown
- [15:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-09-08-the-food-energy-nexus#t=946) Food waste stages and environmental impact
- [17:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-09-08-the-food-energy-nexus#t=1071) Local food myths and transportation energy
- [23:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-09-08-the-food-energy-nexus#t=1414) Biofuels: Food vs. Fuel dilemma
- [28:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-09-08-the-food-energy-nexus#t=1730) Climate change impacts on agriculture and cold chain
- [34:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-09-08-the-food-energy-nexus#t=2051) Indoor agriculture and agricultural electrification

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Energy Impact Partners (company)
- UT Austin (other)
- Energy Hub (company)
- Post Script Media (company)
- Canary Media (company)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-09-08-the-food-energy-nexus. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.