{"podcast":{"title":"FAO Podcasts","slug":"fao-podcasts-6448729","podcast_index_feed_id":6448729,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/78363/rss","website_url":"http://www.fao.org/news/podcast/en/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/3/6/0/c/360c797f0e318e3927a2322813b393ee/Screenshot_2023-06-19_at_13.53.30.jpg","author":"Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations","episode_count":100,"summary":"The FAO Podcasts, a multilingual audio series produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, addresses pressing global issues including hunger, poverty, agriculture, and sustainability. With content available in English, Spanish, and French, our dedicated audio team ensures these vital conversations are accessible to a global audience. Our three distinct formats - the concise FAO Brief, insightful FAO Talks, and the deeply human documentary pieces - serve as your gateway to understanding and participating in these critical global discussions. Tune in, enrich your perspective, and join us in shaping a more sustainable future for all.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-22T00:17:42.420038+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/fao-podcasts-6448729"},"episode":{"title":"The Work We Do - Ep 4. Science & Innovation in Agriculture and the Digital Divide. Charles Spillane","slug":"the-work-we-do-ep-4-science-innovation-in-agriculture-and-the-digital-divide-charles-spillane","published_at":"2026-05-06T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/fao-podcasts-6448729/the-work-we-do-ep-4-science-innovation-in-agriculture-and-the-digital-divide-charles-spillane","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/fao-podcasts-6448729","url":"https://targetzerohunger.libsyn.com/the-work-we-do-ep-4-science-innovation-in-agriculture-and-the-digital-divide-charles-spillane","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/targetzerohunger/TWWD_Chief_Scientist_EP_MP3.mp3?dest-id=355500","summary":"In this episode of The Work We Do, we sit down with Charles Spillane, Chief Scientist at FAO. Charlie traces how his upbringing on a farm in Ireland and an early interest in science fiction shaped his techno-optimistic worldview and his belief in the power of science and innovation to improve society. He discusses why scientific advances often fail to reach smallholder farmers, what it takes to close the gap between knowledge and adoption, and how financial, institutional, and systemic barriers can be addressed. Charlie explores the growing role of data in agriculture, including questions of ownership and governance, and the limitations of current research funding models. And he shares vision for a more effective, future-ready agrifood science system. 00:00 Inequality and progress 01:00 From farm to FAO 08:28 Innovation in context 11:11 The technology gap 12:24 Data and control 16:00 The digital divide 21:10 Climate trade-offs 27:07 Science funding 32:46 Why FAO","meta_description":"In this episode of The Work We Do, we sit down with Charles Spillane, Chief Scientist at FAO. Charlie traces how his upbringing on a farm in Ireland and a…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2160,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/fao-podcasts-6448729/episodes/the-work-we-do-ep-4-science-innovation-in-agriculture-and-the-digital-divide-charles-spillane/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/fao-podcasts-6448729/the-work-we-do-ep-4-science-innovation-in-agriculture-and-the-digital-divide-charles-spillane.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}