Laura Pereira has a Brazilian name, but is actually South African of Portuguese descent. To her, the Anthropocene is not only a new epoch where humans have become a geological force, but also a time for change to humanity – not necessarily linked to catastrophe if we act collectively and fast enough to avoid it. And the global South has a crucial role in that.

The zoologist is also a specialist in Ecology and Law, and studied the capacity of the private food sector in South Africa and Brazil to adapt to climate  change in her doctoral years at Oxford University. Currently she’s an Environment and Sustainability expert at the School of Arts and Social Sciences at the City University in London and studies how we could have healthier and more equitable food systems in the Anthropocene.

She’s also one of the research leaders of the Seeds of Good Anthropocenes project, which maps little known initiatives of social and ecological  transformations that aim to reach sustainable development around the world. They range from social movements to new technologies and take place in regions as diverse as Kenya, Colombia, New Zealand, Canada and Palestine – and counting.

This August was the Anthropocene month at the Museum of Tomorrow – and the interview follows a series of activities and discussions the Museum has promoted on the theme. Check out the full interview here.

*​Interview given to Meghie Rodrigues, researcher of the Scientific Development Directorate of the Museum of Tomorrow