The Salmon and the Tomato – visual storytelling for communicating complex topics

The Salmon and the Tomato is a long-term science communication project that traces how everyday foods are entangled within global systems of production, trade, and environmental impact. This talk introduces the project’s interdisciplinary approach, combining research, visual storytelling, and participatory methods to make complex food system dynamics legible to non-expert audiences. As part of the project we have produced a children’s book, which uses narrative and illustration to explore themes of food imperialism, ecological interdependence, and responsibility across supply chains. This talk introduces the project and its core story – the impacts of food supply chains – reflecting on the role of climate change in a system already under strain. It then discusses the opportunities and constraints of translating scientific and socio-ecological research into accessible formats, and considers what children’s media can contribute to more inclusive and critical public engagement with food systems.

Relevant to researchers, educators, and practitioners interested in science communication, food systems, environmental justice, and creative or visual methods, as well as those exploring how research can be meaningfully translated for younger audiences and the wider public.

Keynote speaker: Neal Haddaway, researcher, visual storyteller, and science communicator