Sake in Changing Climate: How to respond to this crisis and to mobilise food fanbase to take climate actions

Food plays a critical role in culture and motivating actions, as seen such as organic food, local produces, animal rights, and fair trades. Similar thing could be said in climate action. The fact that their favourite meals might not be available in a near future due to climate change is a serious concern and, with that understanding, those doing the best to fight against climate change could be their choice of consumption.

Sake is one of such items. Sake is made from three things shaped by climate and place: rice, water, and a fermentation that depends on cool temperatures. As Japan warms, all three are strained — higher temperatures crack ripening grains and reduce the starchy white core (shinpaku) essential to high-grade sake, while warmer autumns and winters disrupt the cold fermentation that defines sake’s character.

This event will be a mixed form of TED-style talk and fireside chat accompanied by Sake. Inviting a Sake Brewer from Japan who uses signature rice from Okayama called Omachi, an old type which cannot be modified without losing its significance, to share his story of sake-making and to join a fireside style chat with other food related speakers how our love to our food could be a motivator to overcome emotional oppositions or ignorance to renewable and climate action and a way to build new pro-climate constituencies in their fanbase.

This event is needing to take place on 16th November as the schedule of the speaker is limited. Also, since this involves sake and possibly other food from other regions, we like to make this in the afternoon or evening, as a kind of reception style event.