For many years I neglected my diet. Then I realized food is one of the easiest things to manage and improve my health. At SXSW, food and wellness topics have gained attention beyond the usual tech-fare and music. SXSW covers more ‘cultural’ ground than most festivals. The food portion of the conference branches into the Austin community.

Simply put, poor food nutrition and exploding costs are hurting people worldwide as they attempt to feed their families. Climate change is devastating healthy food production and access. Mass starvation is happening. For those of us blessed with plenty, risks persist. The largest food, agriculture, and pharmaceutical companies seem reluctant to change their tune as their unholy union ensures mass addiction to ultra-processed food complemented by unhealthy doses of medications. The doctors watch this narrative and seem to play along given the risks countering the food industry.

The world continues its business as usual on this hedonic treadmill as billions experience preventable diseases — reducing economic productivity and crippling their healthcare systems. The planet is becoming more sick due to food issues.

Look forward to learning more about what’s going on in 2024.