We hear about greenhouse gas emissions and their consequences all the time, but who’s measuring those emissions? How can countries use that data to develop more sustainable methods for producing and distributing food? Francesco Tubiello, a senior statistician and climate change specialist with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, joins host Jenna Liut to speak about his most recent report and the role of his findings in pinpointing the most energy-intensive nodes of our global food system.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eating Matters by becoming a member!Eating Matters is Powered by Simplecast.

How does nutrition impact your ability to conceive? What are key nutrients and vitamins and their recommended food sources for boosting both women AND men’s fertility? Are there multigenerational health effects of our dietary and lifestyle choices? Dr. Nicole Avena, research neuroscientist, nutrition expert and author of the newly released book, “What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant” joins host Jenna Liut to discuss these questions and more!Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut is joined by Leah Garcés, President of Mercy for Animals (MFA), an organization working to construct a compassionate food system and end commercial animal agriculture.  They discuss MFA’s undercover investigation into the horrific conditions of Costco’s chicken farm as profiled in New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s recent exposé, the concept of sentience, and what differentiates their work from other animal welfare organizations. Image courtesy of Mercy for Animals.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eating Matters by becoming a member!Eating Matters is Powered by Simplecast. 

Host Jenna Liut welcomes the award-winning investigative journalist, Carey Gillam, back to show to discuss her new book, The Monsanto Papers: Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man’s Search for Justice. A follow up to Gillam’s first book, Whitewash – an explosive expose on Monsanto and the health risks of its best-selling herbicide, Roundup – her new book offers a behind-the-scenes look at the landmark lawsuit against Monsanto and its implications for tens of thousands of plaintiffs worldwide. Informed by Gillam’s unfettered access to the legal team behind this historic lawsuit and over 80,000 pages of documents, The Monsanto Papers details the astounding extent to which the company went hide the deadly dangers of its products and corporate misdeeds – and the devastating human toll that it took.Photo Courtesy of Prayong Kotjuk.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

We know that U.S. industrial agriculture has had monumental effects on our climate, but how has climate change reciprocally impacted our agricultural system? And, an even more pressing question, how close is our agricultural system to total collapse? In his new book, “Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It,” Tom Philpott looks for answers in the nation’s primary farming hubs: California’s Central Valley and the Corn Belt of the Midwest, both of which are in a state of accelerating ecological decline. Host Jenna Liut sits down with Tom to talk about California water barons, toxic petrochemical stews, and why we should make almonds a special occasion snack.Photo Courtesy of Tom Philpott.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

The US is a global leader of food waste, generating about 40 MILLION tons annually, which represents between 30 - 40% of the food supply. Within this waste stream are 10 million tons of perfectly usable vegetables that don’t make it to market. Recognizing the critical role this produce could play in tackling the dual challenges of food waste and limited availability of nutritious food for millions of Americans, Anna Hammond founded Matriark Foods, a startup that upcycles vegetable byproducts into healthy products for the benefit of people and the planet. Host Jenna Liut speaks with Anna about how she got her start and the impact the company is making as a solution for major inefficiencies in the food supply chain.Photo Courtesy of Matriark Foods.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

The fight to eliminate hunger entails measures that go well beyond food banks, soup kitchens, and SNAP benefits. Prior to Biden’s inauguration and the release of the Administration's COVID & economic relief proposal, host Jenna Liut interviewed Joel Berg to discuss how higher wages, affordable housing, universal health care, school meals and nutritional education are each vital to ensuring widespread food security. Joel is the CEO of Hunger Free America, a national advocacy and direct service organization dedicated to designing programs and policies to end hunger in the U.S.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Longtime food and agriculture policy reporter, Chuck Abbott, helps us to understand our nation’s “farmer voting bloc” and its loyalty to Trump throughout the last two election cycles. What policies and belief systems have generated our rural-urban political divide? Chuck takes us through the trade war with China, agricultural subsidies, climate change debates, COVID-19 relief, and their collective impacts on the political allegiance of rural America. Finally, we consider what transformations the Biden administration might pose for U.S. agriculture. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eating Matters by becoming a member!Eating Matters is Powered by Simplecast.

Following up on our previous episode featuring Sanjay Rawal, director of the newly-released film, Gather, host Jenna Liut interviews a central character of the documentary: Native food practitioner, Nephi Craig. Chef Craig is the founder of both the Native American Culinary Association as well as Café Gozhóó where he also serves as the Executive Chef. They discuss Indigenous food systems and the modern colonial violence that continues to threaten them, as well as cultural appropriation in the culinary world. Chef Craig helps us to solidify our definition of food sovereignty and better understand the intersection of Native foods, cultural preservation, community health, and political autonomy. Eating Matters’ Amber Chong co-hosts.Photo Courtesy of Renan Ozturk. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Ever wonder why we don’t eat Bison meat in this country? This is a little known - but extremely important - part of American history that perfectly demonstrates one way the US government worked to systematically steal land from and decimate Native American people. It was a tactic that effectively communicated that ‘one dead buffalo is two dead Indians.’ Director Sanjay Rawal (Food Chains) joins host Jenna Liut to discuss his critically-acclaimed, newly-released documentary, Gather. The film demonstrates how Indigenous Americans are reclaiming their sovereignty over their annihilated ancestral food systems, while battling against the historical trauma brought on by colonialism and centuries of genocide. Eating Matters’ Amber Chong joins the show as co-host.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut interviews author Benjamin Lorr to talk about his new book, “The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket,” which delves into what it takes to get food onto grocery store shelves and who suffers the consequences of our increasing demand for cheap food and efficiency. Lorr pulls back the curtain on a notoriously secretive industry, interviewing people at every level – from the founder of Trader Joes to truck drivers transporting products to trafficked migrants in Myanmar and Thailand at the bottom of the commodity chain. This book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in our food system.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

As the country prepares for President-elect Biden to take office in January, host Jenna Liut is joined by journalist Lisa Held to reflect on the major food and agricultural policy changes we have experienced since Trump took office and the long-term effects they will have on our food system.  Lisa is a senior policy reporter for Civil Eats and a fellow Heritage Radio Network host of the show, The Farm Report.   Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eating Matters by becoming a member!Eating Matters is Powered by Simplecast.  

Host Jenna Liut interviews Turner Wyatt, Co-founder & CEO of the Upcycled Food Association, a nonprofit working to reduce food waste by growing the upcycled food economy. They discuss consumer demand upcycled products, UFA’s progress in creating an Upcycled Food Certification Standard, and of course, Brené Brown.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eating Matters by becoming a member!Eating Matters is Powered by Simplecast.  

Food systems expert and this year’s winner of the Julia Childs Award, Danielle Nierenberg, joins host Jenna Liut to talk about her work as the President of Food Tank, how COVID has lifted the veil on systematic issues plaguing our food system, and the importance of having uncomfortable conversions.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut kicks off the fall season with the one and only Marion Nestle to talk about her new book, "Let's Ask Marion: What You Need to Know about the Politics of Food, Nutrition, and Health" published by the University of California Press. The book features a series of short essays that explore how food intersects with politics, culture, identity, social class, inequity, and power. It's 4" x 4" and jam packed with everything you need to know about food politics today.Photo Courtesy of Bill Hayes.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast. 

Host Jenna Liut speaks with farmer, educator, author, and food sovereignty activist, Leah Penniman. She is the Co-Founder, Co-Director and Program Manager of Soul Fire Farm in Petersburg, New York, and she is the author of the book, "Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land." For the past 20 years, Leah has worked to end racism and injustice in our food system by increasing farmland stewardship by people of color, promoting equity in food access, and training the next generation of activist farmers.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut speaks with environmental justice expert, Dr. Fatemah Shafiei about how communities of color are disproportionately affected by environmental hazard, the toll it takes on their collective health and overall wellbeing, and what is being done (and not done) to address these issues.  Dr. Shafiei is associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and director of environmental studies at Spelman College. She is also a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and has served as an environmental justice consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Bates College. Dr. Shafiei has been an expert and a leader in advancing integration of sustainability into college, university, high school, and middle school curricula for more than two decades.In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.Keep Eating Matters on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast. 

Host Jenna Liut speaks with Devon Klatell, Managing Director of the Food Initiative at the Rockefeller Foundation, on the longstanding work the Foundation has done to advance a healthier and more equitable food system as well as its recent focus on supporting school nutrition programs in the U.S. during the ongoing COVID crisis. In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.Keep Eating Matters on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.  

Host Jenna Liut speaks with Washington Post journalist, Laura Reiley, about her ongoing coverage of the effects that COVID-19 is having on the food supply chain, including why we have seen a paradoxical rise in both food waste and food insecurity; why the meat industry is being hit particularly hard; and the likelihood of impending food shortages in the U.S.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast. 

Dr. David L. Katz, MD, MPH, co-author of the newly published book, "How to Eat: All Your Food & Diet Questions Answered," joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the incredibly important (and often unappreciated) role diet plays in your overall health, how it relates to the current COVID-19 epidemic, and simply, what you really need to know about how to eat.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut welcomes New York Times bestselling and James A. Beard Award-winning author, Mark Kurlansky, back on the show to discuss his new book, “Salmon: A Fish, the Earth, and the History of Their Common Fate". Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Aquaculture – or farmed seafood – is one of the most resource-efficient ways to produce protein, and it has helped improve nutrition and food security around the world. And yet, it is an industry that is still widely misunderstood. Alf-Goran Knutsen, the CEO of Kvarøy Arctic, a third-generation salmon farm in Norway, and Jen Bushman, a sustainable aquaculture advocate, join host Jenna Liut to introduce the company and how it’s revolutionizing the practice of open water salmon farming.Photo Courtesy of Kvaroy ArcticEating Matters is powered by Simplecast. 

What exactly happens after you throw something out? (Spoiler alert: given the current state of the recycling industry these days, it probably goes straight to landfill.) So how is waste processed, where and by whom? Waste Dive journalist Ev Crunden joins host Jenna Liut to give a comprehensive overview of how the waste management industry works and explains what some of the biggest challenges it's facing right now.Photo Courtesy of Ev Crunden.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.  

Host Jenna Liut speaks with author Julie Guthman about her new book, Wilted: Pathogens, Chemicals, and the Fragile Future of the Strawberry Industry, which tells the story of how California's strawberry industry came to rely on soil fumigants, and how that reliance reverberated throughout the rest of the fruit’s production system.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast. 

Host Jenna Liut is joined by Amanda Weeks, CEO & Co-Founder of Ambrosia, a closed-loop manufacturing company that uses food waste as a catalyst to re-imagine common resource intensive and water-based products. They discuss how Ambrosia is the next frontier of the circular economy, why their very first product to market, Veles, is an all-purpose household cleaner derived from food waste (of all things), and why it doesn't matter how you pronounce it.Photo By Zack DeZonEating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Brooklyn Borough President – and 2021 Mayoral Candidate – Eric Adams joins host Jenna Liut to discuss how he’s put food issues and public health at the forefront of his political agenda and what he is doing to create a better food system for all New Yorkers.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast. 

Author Bettina Elias Siegel joins host Jenna Liut to talk about her first book, "Kid Food: The Challenge of Feeding Children," which was recently published this past November.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast. 

There's so much to consider when shopping for meat. Not only do you need some basic knowledge about what cuts you want to purchase, but you also have to navigate decisions around ethics, sustainability, animal welfare, cost, and more. On today's special live recording of Eating Matters, Jenna has an all-encompassing conversation about meat with guest John Ratliff of Ends Meat. The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate  today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast. meat, sustainability, industry city, ends meat, john ratliff, live, sourcing, grass-fed, 

Packaging trash - including what is used for food and beverages - now accounts for nearly half of all plastic waste generated globally. And most of it never gets recycled or incinerated. National Geographic writer, Laura Parker, joins host Jenna Liut to discuss how we got to this point with plastic pollution, its recycling challenges, the connection to climate change, the status of regulating its use and disposal worldwide, and the hard truth about bioplastics.The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate  today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut discusses the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's recently released position paper, “Agriculture and Climate Change: Policy Imperatives and Opportunities to Help Producers Meet the Challenges,” with Ferd Hoefner, a Senior Strategic Advisor at NSAC, and Mark Schonbeck, a principal author of the report. Together, they review how climate change and agriculture impact each other, explore how the agricultural sector can mitigate its collective effect, and highlight their suggested federal policy solutions that will enable and support producers in doing so.The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate  today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Paul Willis, farmer and founder of Niman Ranch Pork Company, joins host Jenna Liut in the studio to talk about how he got his start, the impact of the Purdue acquisition, and two of the most urgent agricultural policy fixes he would like to see happen now.Eating Matters  is powered by Simplecast.  

Host Jenna Liut sits down with Foodshed.io's Co-founder and Managing Director, Daniel Beckman, to learn more about how this startup is leveraging blockchain to create an efficient, reliable and transparent marketplace that connects urban markets to local farmers and strengthens regional food systems.Eating Matters  is powered by Simplecast.  

Lab-grown, or "cultured," meat is a new kind of protein produced by growing animal cells into muscle fibers. Ben Wurgaft joins host Jenna Liut to talk about his new book, "Meat Planet: Artificial Flesh and the Future of Food," where he considers the cultural and philosphical questions about what we as humans eat and how innovations like lab-grown meat will effect the future of food.Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Veteran nutrition director Betti Wiggins has been working for almost 30 years to improve school food for urban children. She has been credited with making enormous changes to the quality of school meals served at Detroit Public Schools and is now leading the Houston Independent School District’s nutrition services department, responsible for feeding over 200,000 students every day with ~ $1.00 to spend on food per meal. Through her conversation with host Jenna Liut, you will quickly learn why she is widely regarded as a "school food hero."Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Acclaimed author and food systems expert, Mark Winne joins host Jenna Liut to discuss his new book, “Food Town, USA: Seven Unlikely Cities That Are Changing the Way We Eat”, where he features the inspiring work people across the country are doing to leverage the power of healthy and sustainable food to revitalize communities ravaged by disappearing industries and histories of inequity. Through their discussion, Winne describes the elements of an impactful food movement and how all of us can effect change wherever we live. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.  

In a July report, the USDA found that crop insurance payouts are likely to increase due to the expected increase in climate volatility. But is the program that is designed to protect farmers against the hardships caused by these climate events just making the problem worse? Journalist Jessica McKenzie joins host Jenna Liut to talk about the current structure of the Federal Crop Insurance Program and why conservatives and environmental advocates alike think it needs to change if we want to encourage farmers to adopt more sustainable growing practices. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut interviews author Jennifer E. Gaddis about her forthcoming book "The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools." Gaddis’ book exposes the labor crisis in school cafeterias and why we can’t keep ignoring these workers if we want healthier school lunches. Listen to this episode to learn more about the feminist history of the National School Lunch Program and how organizing together and empowering those responsible for serving 5 BILLION lunches per school year coud be the missing piece to better eating habits in children nationwide.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Although 76% of consumers are reported to be concerned about farm animal welfare, food labels and marketing claims have become alarmingly misleading, making it incredibly difficult for consumers to have the impact they seek to make through their purchasing power. Daisy Freund, Director of Farm Animal Welfare at the ASPCA, joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the exciting work the organization is doing to help consumers navigate food labels, elevate meaningful farm animal welfare certifications, and support small farmers, large producers, independent businesses and large corporations in building a more humane, transparent and accountable food system. Photo courtesy of ASPCA. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Kim Kessler, the Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - and Eating Matters creator! - joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the agency's innovative and impactful work in promoting and protecting the health of all New Yorkers. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut welcomes Dr. Marlene Schwartz, Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, back on the show to discuss the article she co-authored with Dr. Kelly Brownell and Dr. Lee Miller that was recently published in the American Journal of Public Health. The article, “Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health,” explores the critical and inextricable link between agriculture and public health and demonstrates the need for policies that simultaneously address hunger, obesity and the effects of agricultural production on the environment. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Alexander Gillett, CEO and Co-Founder of HowGood – which specializes in rating companies and products based on their environmental, social and labor practices – joins host Jenna Liut to discuss how they have amassed the largest database on food and personal care product sustainability in the world. With over 1,000,000 rated products, HowGood is creating a more transparent supply chain that helps consumers and businesses alike make informed, sustainability-minded decisions. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Naama Tamir, co-owner of Lighthouse and Lighthouse Outpost, was recently named as Slow Food NYC's 2019 "Snailblazer," a designation granted to changemakers committed to creating a better food system. Her work exemplifies the big impact that one small business can have on a broader goal of good, clean, fair food for all. Naama joins host Jenna Liut in the studio to discuss the various sustainability and labor initiatives underway at both of her Brookly and NYC-based restaurants. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut is joined by Robyn Metcalfe, author of the newly published book, “Food Routes: Growing Bananas in Iceland and Other Tales from the Logistics of Eating,” to unpack the unbelievable complexities of the current food supply chain and discuss how technology will impact the future of how our food gets from the field to our fork. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Roundup, a common glyphosate-based herbicide made by Monsanto, is back in the news as a California jury recently ordered the company to pay $2 billion in damages to a married couple who both developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which they say was caused by many years of using this product. Carey Gillam, investigative journalist and author of Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science, joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the science behind glyphosate, how it became the world's most popular herbicide, and what is at stake for human and environmental health as a result of its prevalence worldwide. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

This week, a landmark new report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was released stating that nature is declining globally at unprecedented rates and the rate of species extinction is accelerating. One million (out of eight million) plant and animal species are now on the verge of extinction. Joining the show to help explain why and the extent to which the decline in biodiversity is happening, the consequences of the decline and how we need to move forward is Susan Casey – Lefkowitz, Chief Program Officer for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

This season of Eating Matters has focused a lot on how to feed a growing world’s population without completely destroying the planet and policies and programs – past, present and future – aimed at helping us get there. In the final episode of Eating Matters for the season, host Jenna Liut interviews author Tim Wise about his new book, Eating Tomorrow: Agribusiness, Family Farmers and the Battle for the Future of Food, which brings together many of the previously discussed policies and lays out what we need to do, collectively, to ensure we are all able to eat tomorrow. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut sits down with Organic Valley’s Mission Executive, Leslie Kruempel, to discuss their unique co-op model and brand strategy. Kruempel explains the history of Organic Valley, the participation of its 2,000 family farmers, and their new ad campaign “Call Us Crazy But It’s Working.” They also discuss more nuanced topics like Grassmilk, labeling and Greenwashing trends, and balancing reliance on ruminants with an increased push for sustainability. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut talks with Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) about why he gives the 2018 Farm Bill a "D+," his work on the New Green Deal, and how every politician - regardless of their committee assignments - must prioritize food and agriculture systems reform. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut continues her conversation with Greg Jaffe, Director of the Project on Biotechnology at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, on everything you need to know about genetic engineering. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

International agricultural biotechnology and biosafety expert from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Greg Jaffe, joins host Jenna Liut to share everything you need to know about genetic engineering. Whether you are a skeptic or supporter, this episode will help you better understand the facts – including the science, regulation and controversies surrounding the use of this technology. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

What did Ted Cruz get right that the 2020 field of Democratic Presidential candidates are getting wrong? The answer is his view that the Renewable Fuels Standard is failed policy in need of reform. Environmental journalist and author Michael Grunwald joins host Jenna Liut to unpack what the Renewable Fuels Standard entails, why it has arguably caused more environmental harm than good since its inception, and where we need to go from here. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Introduced in early February by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, the Green New Deal is a congressional resolution that calls for the U.S. to become carbon neutral and to supply 100% of the country’s electricity from carbon-free energy sources by 2030. But what does this grand plan to tackle climate change actually entail and what does it mean for our food system? Award-winning journalist Christopher D. Cook joins host Jenna Liut to discuss. They also get to the bottom of whether this proposal would take away our “airplane rights,” “confiscate our cars,” “ban livestock,” and force Americans to rely on “unicorn tears” to power new, high-speed light rails we will have to ride around on. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Members of the Chef's Collaborative - including Chef & Owner of Nicks on Broadway, Derek Wagner; Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer of AeroFarms, Marc Oshima; and, Chef Jake Rojas of Tallulah's Taqueria - join Host Jenna Liut to discuss the work that the non-profit has done over the past 25 years to create a more sustainable food system. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Co-founders Adam Lowry and Neil Renninger join the show to discuss their newest company, Ripple Foods, makers of nutritious plant-based milk products. Adam and Neil discuss how they created the cleanest plant protein on the planet, the sustainability impact the company is having, and the current state of the non-dairy industry. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

The Farm Bill has an enormous potential to improve the sustainability of our food system by supporting and funding major initiatives that mitigate agriculture's impact on climate change. After a long and drawn out process, the legislation was finally reauthorized in December 2018. Alyssa Charney, Senior Policy Specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, joins host Jenna Liut to provide an update on the finalized conservation programs that were approved and the impact they can make. Photo courtesy of National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Gary Paul Nabhan, author and father of the local food movement, joins host Jenna Liut to talk about his new book, “Food from the Radical Center: Healing our Communities and our Land,” which contains a collection of stories that illustrate what good can happen when people organize and work together to restore land in order to produce healthy foods. They discuss just how divided our nation is today, various community-based collaborative restoration strategies, and the unprecedented impacts they have had in restoring North America's food biodiversity and fostering a sense of empathy for our neighbors. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

The second of a two-part series discussing the World Resources Institute’s report titled “Creating a Sustainable Food Future: A Menu of Solutions to Sustainably Feed More Than 9 Billion People by 2050.” Host Jenna Liut interviews its lead author, Tim Searchinger, about the innovative and sobering changes that are necessary to feed the world’s booming population without completely destroying the plant over the next 30 years. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Tim Searchinger, lead author of the World Resources Institute’s recently released report titled “Creating a Sustainable Food Future: A Menu of Solutions to Sustainably Feed More Than 9 Billion People by 2050,” joins host Jenna Liut to discuss what it will take to feed the world’s booming population over the next 30 years without having devastating and irrevocable effects on the planet. This episode is Part 1 of 2 in our coverage of this landmark report. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

In light of the recent outbreaks in foodborne illnesses, host Jenna Liut delves into the world of food safety. Jean Halloran, Director of Food Initiatives at Consumer Reports, joins the show to discuss how outbreaks like the recent discovery of Salmonella in Jennie-O’s fresh ground turkey, are managed and hopefully prevented in our food system. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Last week, the day after Thanksgiving, US government agencies released the much anticipated Forth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) which assesses the state of the climate across the US. The report’s findings were bleak – stating in clear terms that without “substantial and sustained reductions” in greenhouse gas emissions, climate change will hurt people, economies, and resources across the country. Marcia DeLong, a Senior Scientist in the Food & Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the myriad effects climate change will have on our food and agriculture systems. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Demand for organic products continue to rise as consumers become increasingly conscientious about their food choices. Indeed, being mindful of the kinds of food and production methods used to produce that food is undeniably essential to creating a better and sustainable food system. But does that mean that we should exclusively eat organic foods? Are all conventional foods bad? Alexina Cather, Deputy Director Hunter College’s New York City Food Policy Center, joins host Jenna Liut to discuss whether organic food – and the USDA organic certification – is all it’s cracked up to be. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution is wreaking havoc on our waterways - notably in the Gulf of Mexico, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Great Lakes - and is getting worse every year. Science journalist Virgina Gewin discusses the extent of the problem, remedies that will drastically improve the sustainability of current farming practices, and what it will take for widespread adoption of these innovative methods. Later in the show, Edible Brooklyn’s Editor-in-Chief Ariel Lauren Wilson joins Jenna in the studio to talk about their upcoming Food Loves Tech conference happening on November 2nd and 3rd. Powered by Simplecast https://simplecast.com [1]http://www.virginiagewin.com/ [2]https://www.ediblebrooklyn.com/

The Farm Bill – the primary legislation passed by Congress that sets national nutrition, agriculture and conservation policy – officially expired on October 1st, with no new legislation to take it's place. So, what now? Helena Bottemiller Evich, Senior Food & Ag Reporter at Politico Pro, joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the status of the current bill, the repercussions for our domestic food system, and where we go from here. Powered by Simplecast https://simplecast.com [1]https://www.politico.com/staff/helena-bottemiller-evich [2]https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-bottemiller-evich-33462a15 [3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_farm_bill

The United Nations calls the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria the "the greatest and most urgent global risk," an epidemic that is projected to cost the world $100 trillion (TRILLION) and cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050. For a long time, it was thought that antibiotic resistance was only caused by misuse of these drugs in medicine, but in her book ""Big Chicken: The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats," author Maryn McKenna documents how drug-resistant bacteria are being spread through our food system. McKenna joins host Jenna Liut to discuss her research on how the excessive use of antibiotics in the poultry industry in particular helped give rise to this public health epidemic and what we can do now to ensure safer, healthier eating for ourselves and future generations. Eating Matters is powered by Simpelcast.

The abundance and prevalence of CBD products has exploded in recent months – so much so that even Coca-Cola is considering making a line of wellness beverages infused with CBD. With the rapidly changing – and ever confusing – cannabis landscape, journalist Lisa Gill joins host Jenna Liut to shed light on the CBD industry in particular - discussing what it is, how it’s used, and why it has suddenly become so popular. Gill, an expert in the public health and drug field, is the Deputy Editor at Consumer Reports and has covered this issue extensively. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

With the renegotiation of NAFTA currently underway and a new trade agreement close to being finalized, host Jenna Liut welcomes author Alyshia Galvez to the show to discuss the repercussions the deal has had on the U.S. and Mexican food system. Alyshia is a Professor of Latin American and Latino studies at Lehman College of the City University of New York, and she is also the author of the recently published book, “Eating NAFTA: Trade, Food Policies and the Destruction of Mexico,” where she examines the effects of free-trade policies on Mexican food production and traditional culture as well as the collective health of the Mexican people. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

The agriculture industry, including both U.S. farms and agribusiness, has been undergoing widespread and persistent consolidation for decades. And yet, family farms continue to account for most U.S. food production. Those are among the conclusions of "Three Decades of Consolidation in U.S. Agriculture," a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS). At the same time, three mega-mergers between agricultural chemical and seed producers have been underway, which some believe will have major affects on global food production. Jim MacDonald, Chief of the Structure, Technology, and Productivity branch of ERS - and co-author of the department's new report on consolidation - joins Host Jenna Liut to provide further context about these industry changes and the likely repercussions for farmers, consumers, and our broader food system. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

In recent weeks, the Novo Dia Group, an Austin-based company that processes approximately 40% of SNAP transactions at farmers markets nationwide, said it will end its service by July 31st, leaving a big gap in the ability for farmers markets to serve low-income customers. Joining Host Jenna Liut to dig deeper into what exactly happened and the repercussions of Nova Dia’s decision is Leah Douglas, Associate Editor and Staff Writer at the Food & Environment Reporting Network who has covered this issue extensively, and Cheryl Huber, Greenmarket Assistant Director at GrowNYC, a non-profit that oversees a network of farmers markets throughout the NYC that are affected by this development. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

If the 1990s has taught us anything, we know that Kate Moss, Tom Brady, and Kermit the Frog certainly do! And that over 220 billion liters of fluid white milk was estimated to be consumed worldwide in 2016. Indeed, milk is one of those ubiquitous refrigerator staples available in vast quantities anywhere food is sold. And yet, despite its extreme popularity, author Mark Kurlansky refers to it as “the most argued over food in history.” In his new book, “Milk! A 10,000 Year Food Fracas,” Kurlansky demonstrates how dairy has framed cultural, genetic, medicinal and economic debates that have been raging for centuries - from the merits of breastfeeding to food safety regulations to the environmental impact of industrialized dairy farms. In this episode, Mark joins host Jenna Liut to unpack the human relationship to diary since we first started domesticating animals. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Question: What has 3 times the protein, uses 15 times less water, and produces 2,000 times less methane gas than beef? Answer: crickets! Indeed, many believe that insects will be the food of the future, and crickets are one of the most palatable, sustainable, and nutritious options. Robyn Shapiro, CEO and Founder of Seek Food - makers of cricket protein food brands - joins host Jenna Liut to discuss how her company is working to make eating insects more mainstream in the West. Robyn also talks about the company's exciting new line of baking flours, celebrity chef partnerships, and Kickstarter campaign. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

By 2050 we will have 10 billion mouths to feed in a world profoundly altered by environmental change. This of course begs the question – how will we do this? Joining host Jenna Liut with the inside scoop on what factors need to be addressed in order to achieve global food security is Dr. Ken Foster. Ken is an award-winning professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, where he teaches agricultural price analysis and applied time series analysis. He served as the Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University at from 2008 – 2017 and he is also the co-editor of the recently published book “How to Feed the World,” available from Island Press. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut is thrlled to welcome Deb Eschmeyer to the show today. A dedicated and passionate food system reformer, Deb's work has included organic farming; co-founding the national nonprofit, FoodCorps; and serving as the Executive Director of Let’s Move! and the Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition in the Obama Administration. Currently, she is the VP of Communications and Community Affairs at Danone North America. In this episode, we will more about how – in each of these roles – she has worked to create a more sustainable, healthy and just food system, and the lessons she has learned along the way. We will also discuss one of her most recent projects at Danone sponsoring the Slow Food Nations, a festival of flavor, culture and exploration happening in Denver, CO from July 13 – 15th. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Michigan, which sits in the middle of one-fifth of the Earth’s surface freshwater and has a higher percentage of surface water than any other American state, has experienced a spate of water related issues in the past few years - from the 2014 Flint water crisis to the Detroit municipality water shutoffs amid a recent announcement from Nestle that it will be increasing the amount of water it bottles and sells from the state. Joining the show today to discuss the current status of these issues and what can be done to help ensure the future availabilty of this precious natural resource is Nick Schroeck, and Environmental Law professor and the Director of the Transnational Environmental Law Clinic at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Have you ever wondered why most grocery stores – despite the chain – more or less have the same floor plan? Or why candy bars are always available at the cash register? The layout of stores and strategic placement of certain items is the result of a purposeful decision-making progress designed to encourage people to buy more of one thing or another. Often, the items offered for sale tend to have a lower nutritional value – helping to fuel high levels of obesity and diet related disease prevalent in our society today. But what if these strategies and subtle cues that influence all of our decision-making processes were used to promote healthy items instead? Joining the show today to discuss the possibility of using behavioral economic based interventions to lead food consumers of all ages to healthier diets is Dr. David Just, whose recent paper, titled “Influencing the food choices of SNAP consumers: Lessons from economics, psychology and marketing” was just published in the Journal of Food Policy. Dr. Just is currently a professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. He serves as co-director of the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs. David’s work uses the tools of psychology and economics to examine important ways in which misperception and emotion can drive economic decisions. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Jillian Hishaw joins the show to talk about her work as the Founding Director of F.A.R.M.S., a nonprofit located in the South that provides legal services to small farmers and hunger relief services in their community. Her work has largely focused on the aging challenges farmers face, many of which go overlooked and underreported. Host Jenna Liut talks to Jillian about what those issues are, the impact she and her organization have had to date, and what she will be advocating for in the upcoming Farm Bill. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Hemp is a plant that has an enormous opportunity to benefit the american agricultural system in myriad ways and yet has been faced with a series of legal and regulatory issues over the past several decades. Joining the show to give an update on the legality of hemp cultivation in the U.S. and her recent article on the matter, “Hemp is on the Horizon. Will it Change the Game for Farm Country,” is Christina Cooke. Christina is a freelance writer and associate editor at Civil Eats – a daily online news source about the American food system. Later in the show, we will welcome John Bell, a hemp farmer in Kentucky, to offer his experience growing hemp over the past few years and his perspective on the future of its cultivation. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Caitlin Dewey, who covers food policy for Wonkblog at the Washington Post, joins the show to talk all about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, one of the most important, successful, and misunderstood welfare programs in the US today. Perhaps because of these misunderstandings, it is often a target, with many lawmakers actively working to dramatically decrease the amount spent on the program and the number of people it supports. Most recently, the Trump Administration has put forward a proposal to not only significantly cut federal spending on the program, but to majorly overhaul what it looks like and how benefits are administered. Host Jenna Liut digs into Caitlin’s recent coverage of these issues and what they will mean for millions of Americans. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Kara Cook-Schultz from U.S. PIRG joins the show to talk about their recently released report, Reaping What We Sow: How the Practices of Industrial Agriculture Put Our Health and Environment at Risk, that breaks down the problems of industrial agriculture and offers common-sense solutions. Host Jenna Liut is also speaks with Seth Watkins, 4th generation Iowa farmer whose grandmother, Jessie Field Shambaugh, started 4H. Seth offers his experience in implementing the types of sustainable farming practices proposed in the report. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Eating Matters welcomes Sam Fromartz, Editor in Chief of the Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN), back to the show to discuss the new, annual survey highlighting the top 10 issues their journalists think will make up the news in 2018. From the fight to control seed technology to antibiotic resistance in livestock to the health risks of Roundup, not to mention the Farm Bill renewal, there will be no shortage of things for us to talk about over the next year! Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Christine Haughney, food and agriculture writer at Politico, joins the show to talk about her work as the investigative reporter of Rotten, Netflix’s new food crime docu-series. ROTTEN covers some of the “greatest hits” in food crime and fraud and shines a light on the pervasive greed and misconduct behind some of the world’s biggest corporations and the global food production industry. From honey to chicken to cod, this series will surprise and shock you, and hopefully encourage you to become more informed consumers. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

On this episode of Eating Matters, we talk about the Farmer Fair Practices Rules (aka the GIPSA Rules) which, as wonky as it may sound, offers a fascinating look into the surprising process that 97% of chickens are produced in this country. These rules would have made it easier for farmers to sue companies they contract with over unfair, discriminatory or deceptive practices, offering more protecting farmers from abusive practices that advocates say are commonly experienced in their industry. Host Jenna Liut speaks with Claire Brown, a journalist at the New Food Economy who has covered this issue expensively. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

We remember Hannah Weiss, who interned with Eating Matters and who we lost suddenly and tragically on December 31 st of 2017. At such a young age, she was poised to making meaningful and lasting changes to our food system that we desperately need and deeply committed to doing so. She was a joy to know and is sorely missed. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Building and sustaining regional food systems has been a much discussed topic this season, and in this episode, host Jenna Liut speaks with Tobias Peggs, Co-Founder and CEO of Square Roots - a company doing just that. Square Roots is an urban farming and entrepreneurship platform that strengthens communities through real food. They discuss how and why Square Roots was launched, what the company hopes to achieve, and the immense impact it can have on how we produce and consume food in this country. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

How much do you know about the Farm Bill? If the answer is "not enough," then this is the episode for you. Paul Wolfe, Senior Policy Specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition gives us a primer on this behemoth legislation that arguably has the biggest impact on our national food and agriculture policies and system. It is not the easiest bill to navigate to say the least, and as it is up for reauthorization in 2018, we wanted to go back to basics to better understand what it entails and how it impacts the lives of everyday Americans. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Let's get wonky and talk about how international trade policy effects on our food system. (Best teaser ever.) The re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the U.S., Mexico and Canada began on August 16, and can have huge repercussions on our food supply, farmers and the land. Ben Lilliston joins Host Jenna Liut to unpack the effects NAFTA has had on our food system over the past twenty years – and the potential effects that renegotiating the agreement could have. Ben is the Director of Corporate Strategies and Climate Change at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, which works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Host Jenna Liut speaks with Michael Winik, Founder & CEO of OurHarvest, an online farmers market delivery service working to increase access to locally grown, sustainably sourced and hugely delicious food from the greater New York area. Michael explains why and how his company could make huge changes to our currently broken food system by upending the food retail industry. He also leverages his background as a former investment banker to unpack what the recent Amazon/Whole Foods merger means for consumers, producers, and industry... and why you should care. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Steph Gaylor founded Invincible Summer Farms in 2005 to grow and sell fresh produce, collaborate with chefs and the food community, and save rare seeds. She harvests 3,000 pounds of tomatoes alone (not to mention everything else) by herself while maintaining a seed bank with over 2,000 different varieties of tomatoes. Steph works to preserve the history and story of heirloom plants and is a steward for orphaned varieties and is one of the founding members of the Long Island Regional Seed Consortium and the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Project. Host Jenna Liut talks with Steph about the importance of biodiversity in our food system, the inferiority of Sungold tomatoes, and why she wants the #ladyfarmer hashtag to die. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

On this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut digs into the merits of eating a plant based diet, a concept that has gained popularity in the past decade, even giving way to the development of plant based "meats." More recently, Netflix released a very pro-vegan documentary, "What the Health," which equates eating processed meats and eggs to smoking cigarettes in terms of negative health outcomes. Americans have a long history of diet obsessions, and Jenna discusses whether a plant based diet is a passing fad like the low fat craze of the 1990s, or if we should be abstaining from all animal products. Joining the show to unpack these issues is Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, emerita, at New York University, in the department she chaired from 1988-2003 and from which she retired in September 2017. She is also Visiting Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell and the author of six prize-winning books including: Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health; What to Eat; and, Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning). Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Over the past month, we have seen unprecedented devastation caused by multiple hurricanes hitting the US, starting with SouthEast Texas followed in rapid succession by Florida and most recently Puerto Rico. Food relief is of course one of the most important services provided during a natural disaster, and it always seems to me to be an area that receives little attention in terms of what this actually looks like. It is as challenging an undertaking as it is vital. Host Jenna Liut speaks with Brian Greene, CEO of the Houston Food Bank, an organization that has been at the center of relief efforts in the southeastern area of Texas for more than a month. about how food gets to the people who need it the most as well as what happens when the cameras go away and the long road to recovery begins. Joining her to discuss is Brian Greene, CEO of the Houston Food Bank, an organization that has been at the center of relief efforts in the southeastern area of Texas for more than a month. Eating Matters is Powered by Simplecast

Host Jenna Liut speaks with Chef Rick Moonen. Known as the “Godfather of Sustainability” among chefs, his chef advocacy for the environment began about 30 years ago with the anti-GMO movement and continues today. He is often called upon to testify in Washington, D.C. and New York on environmental and sustainable fishing policy and is currently focused on encouraging people to eat fish lower down the food chain. He has appeared on Top Chef and Top Chef Masters and held executive chef positions at New York’s Oceana and the Water Club. Today, he is the proud Chef/Owner of rm seafood and Rx Boiler Room at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Host Jenna Liut kicks off the Fall 2017 season interviewing Jessie Price, Editor in Chief of EatingWell magazine, which recently published its first annual American Food Heroes awards in their September / October issue. The article profiles ten individuals tackling the biggest food, sustainability and nutrition issues of today. Created to shine a light on the positive changes happening in our food system today, the inaugural awards honor heroes who are working to address a diverse set of challenges, from cleaning up fast food to making school lunches healthier.

Host Jenna Liut speaks with Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director of the Good Food Institute, as association that works with scientists, investors, and entrepreneurs to bring clean meat and plant-based alternatives to animal products to market. Bruce explains the process behind creating clean (or "cultured") meat, the policy issues surrounding this burgeoning field and why vegans, vegetarians and omnivores should all be eating these products.

Host Jenna Liut speaks with Stephen Ritz, an acclaimed Bronx educator and founder of the Bronx Green Machine, an impact driven, non profit. Originally an after-school, alternative program for high school students, Bronx Green Machine has evolved into a K-12+ model fully integrated into core curriculum. Stephen’s new book, The Power of a Plant, documents his own experience teaching for over 30 years in one of the most marginalized communities in the country, the South Bronx, and how he – quite accidentally – came to found an organization that addresses issues of childhood obesity, lack of access to healthy, affordable food and limited job opportunities that make it difficult to end the cycle of poverty in underserved neighborhoods.

To kick off the summer season of Eating Matters, Jenna is joined in studio by fellow HRN host and author Katy Keiffer to talk about her new book, “What’s the Matter with Meat”? Katy – a meat eater herself – offers a comprehensive look at the industrialized meat system, both at home and abroad, and the negative effects it has on our environment, health and wellbeing.

Host Jenna Liut is joined in the studio by Paulette Satur, farmer / owner of Satur Farms on the North Fork of Long Island. We will be discussing how Satur Farms got its start and what makes its model unique as well as gain deeper insight into what issues farmers face every day and how the industry has changed for smaller / mid sized “specialty crop” growers over the past decade.

Demand for locally-grown and served foods has surged in the past few years across various segments within the food industry. On this episode, host Jenna Liut speaks with Rick Stein, VP of Fresh Foods at the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), about the degree to which demand has risen, why the market continues to shift in this direction and how both major food retailers and farmers are responding to this demand.

On the episode, host Jenna Liut takes a slight detour from food policy to talk about nutrition for professional athletes...in the 1980s. Joining her to discuss is her dad, Mike Liut, a former goalie in the NHL, and her brother, Blake, who can be heard laughing in the background.

On this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with Dr. Reese Halter about the effects of our current agricultural system on bee health, including recent declines in the bee population, its devastating repercussions and what everyone can do to reverse this trend. Dr. Reese is an author and distinguished conservation biologist specializing in Earth's life support systems.

On today's episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with Congressman Tim Ryan about his book, The Real Food Revolution, in which he writes about the myriad challenges facing our food system, the cumulative effect they have on our health and the environment, and some common sense actions that any of us can undertake as citizens to improve our collective quality of life, now and for future generations. Congressman Ryan represents Ohio’s 13th district, and was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 2002. He is now serving his eighth term, and is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and co-chairman of the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus.

Host Jenna Liut dives into the world of food policy councils, seeking to understand what they are, where they operate and why they are important in this day and age. Jenna is joined on the line by Clare Fox, from the LA Food Policy Council, and both Karen Banks and Lily Sussman from the Food Communities and Public Health program at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.

On this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with guests Alicia Harvie, Advocacy and Issues Director at Farm Aid, and Brian Barth, writer-at-large for Modern Farmer, about farmers' overwhelming support for Trump in the 2016 election. We discuss the policies and motivations behind why farmers arguably voted against their best interests, and what the expected repercussions the Trump Administration will have on the farming community.

Today on Eating Matters we will be talking all about the need to shift the current food system model, lessons we can learn from other sectors like energy, transportation and water already engaged in modernizing their systems, and how institutional food procurement is one of the most effective intervention points to do so. Joining us to do so is Paula Daniels. Paula is Co-founder and Chair of the Center for Good Food Purchasing, a social enterprise non-profit founded in July of 2015 as a national spin off from the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, which she founded in 2011. She is a public policy leader in environmental food and water policy, and is currently serving as an appointee of Governor Brown to the California Water Commission.

Host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet are joined by Helena Bottemiller Evich from “Morning Agriculture,” Politico's daily briefing on agriculture and food policy, to discuss the biggest food policy stories from 2016 as well as what lies ahead for 2017 and beyond in our new political era.

This week, host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet to talk Mark Bittman about everything. It is amazing. Listen to this episode.

Host Jenna Liut kicks off the first Eating Matters episode of the 2017 winter season with guest Renske Lynde, Co-founder & Managing Director of Food System Six Accelerator, a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit that connects food system entrepreneurs with business acumen and capital. Renske has worked in the non-profit sector on food, agriculture and nutrition policy and issues for nearly 20 years. We discuss the various approaches Renske has taken over the years to improve the food system, including with her newest venture, Food System 6. If you are someone who wants to work on food issues but are not sure of the kinds of roles you can play or if you are a budding food entrepreneur in need of some inspiration to take your idea to the next level, this is the episode for you.

On this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet explore the intersection of nutrition education and food waste. Claire Uno and Julia McCarthy from the Laurie M. Tisch Center on Food, Education & Policy and Louise Bruce from the NYC Department of Sanitation join us to discuss the federal, state and local policies and initiatives that aim to reduce and divert food waste and how consumers can encourage and support these interventions.

This is the second episode in a two part series on food marketing as a follow up to the Resnick Program on Food Law & Policy's conference in October. Host Jenna Liut discusses the political and legal barriers to regulating food marketing efforts with guest, Jennifer Pomeranz. Jennifer - a food law in policy expert - is an Assistant Professor and the Interim Chair of the Department of Public Health Policy and Management at NYU's College of Global Public Health. Later in the show, Jenna is joined by Doug Rauch, Founder & President of Daily Table, our featured startup of the week. Daily Table is a non-profit retail store in Dorchester, MA, offering its community a variety of tasty, convenient and affordable foods.

On this episode of Eating Matters, we feature not one but two good food startups making meaningful changes to the food system. Host Jenna Liut and Associate Producer Taylor Lanzet speak with Sam Fromatz, Editor-in-Chief of the Food & Environment Reporting Network, and Craig Wichner, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Farmland, LP. The FERN is an independent news outlet focusing on the critically underreported areas of food, agriculture, and environmental health and Farmland LP is a company that forged a new model for how farmland is owned and managed. Jenna and Taylor discuss how each impacts our agricultural practices and the environment and why these types of innovative companies are critically important.

This week, host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet are joined by Michael Roberts from the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at the UCLA Law School and Marlene Schwartz from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, to discuss food marketing to children. We unpack common marketing strategies, how social media has changed the game, and what industry's response has been. Later on the show, we are joined by Kelly Swette, CEO of Sweet Earth Natural Foods, makers of “heat and eat,” vegan and vegetarian convenience foods based in Salinas, CA.

This week on Eating Matters, hosts Jenna Liut and Taylor Lanzet get the chance to sit down and talk with Sam Kass. Under Obama's presidency, Kass helped First Lady Michelle Obama create her famous vegetable garden at the White House. He also helped promote the administration's healthy eating initiatives, and of course whipped up meals for the POTUS and his family.

Host Jenna Liut is joined by food writer and historian, Bee Wilson, to discuss her most recent book "First Bite: How We Learn To Eat". Through extensive research, Bee describes how parents can develop healthy eating habits in their children as well as how adults – regardless of their age – can change their own eating preferences.

This week, host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet talk with Darryl Benjamin and Lyndon Virkler about their newly published book "Farm to Table: The Essential Guide to Food Systems for Students, Professionals and Consumers." Later on the show, they are joined by Birgit Cameron, Senior Director of Patagonia Provisions, a brand extension of the outdoor clothing and gear company, founded in 2012.

In this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut talks with Dr. Brian Wansink, founder and director of Cornell University’s Food & Brand Lab about his 25 year career in food psychology and consumer behavior research. Dr. Wansink unpacks key findings from his previous books, Mindless Eating, and Slim by Design, with a particular focus on his article, “'Don’t Eat So Much:' How Parent Comments Relate to Female Weight Satisfaction” published this past June in Eating & Weight Disorders. Later in the show, Jenna speaks with Megan Mokri, Founder & CEO of Byte Foods, an innovative, healthy vending machine company operating in San Francisco.

On this episode of Eating Matters host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet discuss the prevalence and repercussions of antibiotic use in our food system. Emilie Aguirre, an Academic Fellow at the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy at UCLA’s School of Law, provides an overview of the current regulatory landscape and what conscious consumers need to know. Later on the show, we speak with Ben Simon, co-founder & CEO of Imperfect Produce, an innovative ugly produce company based in San Francisco.

Join host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet in their discussion about the perception of healthy food, unpacking what types of food dieticians consider to be healthy compared with what the general public believes. Where is the alignment between these two, and disagreement within the dietetic community itself? And what is the role of both industry and government in helping consumers navigate the food landscape? Jenna and Taylor speak with Margot Sanger-Katz – a health care correspondent writing for the Upshot section at the New York Times – and Ashley Lederer, a registered dietician and founder of Thoughtful Food Nutrition.

Eating Matters kicks the fall season off by speaking with Drive Change, an organization operating at the intersection of criminal justice and food system reform. Host Jenna Liut is joined by Executive Director Jordyn Lexton and former Drive Change fellow Fred Coleman.

Today on Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with Dr. Urvashi Rangan about Consumer Report's “Crop to Table: Pesticide Report” detailing pesticide use in the US. Dr. Rangan oversaw the drafting of the report during her time as the Executive Director of Consumer Report’s Food Safety and Sustainability Center. Later on the show, Jenna speaks with Ben Turley, co-founder of the Meat Hook – a Brooklyn-based whole animal butcher shop.

With the Rio Olympics 2016 underway, host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet dive into Brazil's food system – unpacking how Brazil is combating obesity while improving farmer livelihoods through progressive policy changes. Joined by Bridget Huber, a journalist at the Food & Environment Reporting Network, Jenna and Taylor examine how Brazil is working to shift purchases of ultra-processed foods through a sweeping national policy that advocates for the pleasure of eating. Later on the show we are joined by David Foster, Co-Founder of Everytable, an LA-based restaurant chain on a mission to make good food available to everyone.

On this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with Ricardo Salvador, senior scientist and director of the Food and Environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Allison Aubrey, food and health correspondent for NPR news, about the connection between crop subsidies and public health. Later in the show, Jenna is joined by Mike Winik, Co-Founder of OurHarvest, our featured startup of the week.

On this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut discusses the Global Food Security Act, which fights worldwide food insecurity through the empowerment of local communities. Liz Marcey, Senior Policy Advisor at CARE USA – a humanitarian organization that fights global poverty and was instrumental in the passing of this legislation – joins the show to explain exactly what the act entails, who it impacts, and why it's significant. Later on the show we're joined by Greg Sewitz, Co-Founder of Exo, maker of the food bars that use cricket flour.

On this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut and Associate Producer Taylor Lanzet dive into the world of milk with their guest Melanie Dupuis. Melanie discusses how milk grew to be ubiquitous — a staple in the American diet. Melanie, the author of Nature’s Perfect Food, guides us through the religious, political and sociological factors from the past two centuries that paved the way for the industrialization of fluid milk. Later on the show, we are joined by Liz Vaknin and Shelley Golan, Co-Founders of Our Name Is Farm, this week’s featured startup.

On this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with Dan Pearson, the CEO of Marañón Chocolate about fine chocolate and what advocates are doing to ensure rare, flavorful varietals don't go extinct. Later on the show, Jenna is joined by Franklin Becker, co-founder and Head of Culinary at Hungryroot, the featured startup of the week.

What's as American as apple pie and still illegal to produce? The answer: hemp. On this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with Eric Steenstra, Executive Director of the Hemp Industries Association, and Amy DuFault, Director of Communications at the Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator, about the myriad benefits of this wonderful plant and what advocates are doing to legalize its cultivation in the U.S. Later in the show, Jenna speaks with Jessie Gould, Founder & CEO of Ox Verte, our featured startup of the week.

On this episode, host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet discuss the USDA’s proposed changes for retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or, SNAP). This program is the largest in the domestic hunger safety net and over 44 million Americans rely on it. According to the USDA, as of September 2015 over 250,000 firms were authorized to participate in SNAP. Recently, the USDA released its proposal to require retailers to supply a wider variety of healthy and whole foods for SNAP recipients, which has been met with a great deal of resistance. Joining us on the line today to dig into the details of the USDA’s proposal, what the response to it has been and what it means for the people relying on the program is Chuck Abbott, editor of Ag Insider published by the Food and Environment Reporting Network, who has covered food and agriculture policy in Washington for three decades. Later in the show we will be joined by Tri Tran, Co-Founder & CEO of Munchery, a meal service delivery company and our featured startup of the week.

This week on Eating Matters, we bring you a special field piece recorded at AeroFarms - an indoor, vertical farm - in Newark, New Jersey. Jenna Liut teams up with fellow Heritage Radio Network hosts Erin Fairbanks (The Farm Report) and Chef Emily Peterson (Sharp and Hot) to tour the company's state-of-the-art aeroponic facility that uses a patented technology, allowing the growing of food indoors without sun or soil, using 95% less water than in the field. Tune in for our tour of the facility, a 30,000 square foot former paintball and laser tag arena which houses the largest vertical farm in the world.

We've talked a lot about the principles of Slow Food on this show – essentially by advocating, questioning and thinking through what a good, clean, and fair food system looks like for all. Today, host Jenna Liut uses the Slow Food lens as a tool to talk about fashion. Guests Patrick Duffy and Nica Rabinowitz from Manufacture NY – a manufacturing innovation hub in Sunset Park, Brooklyn – discuss what sustainability looks like in the field of fashion, and how issues like sourcing and labor affect the industry throughout the supply chain. Later in the show, we're joined by Erik Oberholtzer, Founder and CEO of Tender Greens – our featured startup of the week.

This week on Eating Matters, we provide a recap of the Good Festival, a Brooklyn-based conference started by Wen-Jay Ying, Founder and Director of Local Roots NYC. Wen-Jay joins host Jenna Liut in the studio to discuss the key conference themes of compassion, communication and collaboration – not just hippie ideals but also a prescription for a healthy food system. Tune in to learn how to make choices that celebrate and benefit our local food economy. Later in the show, Leo Pollock discusses his Rhode Island-based startup, Compost Plant, the first full service composter in the state.

This week features the second in a two part series on food and labor, focusing on living wage issues faced by farmers throughout the country. What are working conditions like for those who actually grow and harvest the food you eat every day? And what can be done to improve those conditions, encouraging the next generation of farmers to pick up the reins. Host Jenna Liut is joined by GrowNYC's Greenmarket Director, Michael Hurwitz and the National Young Farmers Coalition Executive Director, Lindsey Shute to discuss their experiences advocating for and supporting farmers. Later in the show, Jenna speaks with Eileen Gordon Chiarello about Barnraiser, our featured startup of the week. Barnraiser is a discovery and crowdsourcing platform for projects promoting health and sustainability in the food system.

On today's episode of Eating Matters, Host Jenna Liut kicks off a two part series on labor practices in the food chain with guest Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Center United (ROC United) and the Food Research Center at UC Berkeley. They discuss labor practices experienced by millions of workers in the restaurant industry, the historical events that resulted in those policies, and what advocates are doing to fight for fair wages across the country. This week's featured startup is AeroFarms, an indoor farming organization in Newark, NJ, poised to become the world's largest indoor vertical farm.

Host Jenna Liut kicks off the season discussing the recent CNR activity in the house and how it will effect the nutritional quality and accessibility of school food throughout the country.

As a food policy show, we would be remiss to not discuss one of the most hotly contested issues in the food space over the past year - GMO labeling. What has been going on at the state and federal level around GMO labeling regulations and what is at stake for industry as well as our broader food system? And why was this issue - compared with the myriad others in the "good food movement" - successful? Host Jenna Liut delves into these questions and more with guests Jenny Hopkinson, a food policy and agriculture reporter at POLITICO and POLITICO Pro; Colin O'Neil, Agriculture Policy Director at the Environmental Working Group; and Steve Armstrong, Chief Food Law Counsel at Campbell Soup Company.

Host Jenna Liut is joined today by Will Rosenzweig, Dean and Executive Director of the Food Business School at the Culinary Institute of America, to discuss the intersection of food policy, culture and social entrepreneurialism, driven in large part by the food-obsessed millennial generation. Millennial or otherwise, if you are interested in learning more about or immersing yourself into the food space - particularly if you dream to one day start your own food company - this is the episode for you. More information available at http://foodbusinessschool.org/

Joining host Jenna Liut today to discuss the importance of addressing sustainability issues in our food system is Bob Martin, the Director of the Food System Policy program at Johns Hopkin’s Center for a Livable Future (CFF), which recently commissioned a national survey of American voters to determine public support for food sustainability. Among other key findings, the results demonstrated that 74% of adults believe the newly released Dietary Guidelines should include environmental provisions and support sustainable agriculture practices. On the show, Jenna and Bob unpack the significance of these finds, discuss the survey's repercussions, and offer suggestions for consumers interested in affecting change in our food system.

On today's episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with Valerie Imbruce about her new book, From Farm To Canal Street, which tells the story of one of New York City's oldest and most vibrant ethnic enclaves - Chinatown. The book explains how Chinatown's food network operates, diverging from the global trend to consolidate food production and distribution. Touted as "essential reading for anyone interested in who produces food for urban areas and how it gets into cities" by Marion Nestle, this book is not to be missed.

This week, host Jenna Liut is talking about campus hunger.  Although not typically associated with institutes of higher education, evidence suggests that food insecurity among US college students is rising, especially in light of increased enrollment rates and the evolving demographics among students. Just how prevalent is food insecurity on college campuses?  What are some viable long and short term solutions to address this issue?  Joining the show today to discuss these questions and more are three experts on the subject: Sara Goldrick-Rab, Professor of Educational Policy Studies and Sociology at University of Wisconsin Madison and author of the report “Hungry to Learn” which analyzed food insecurity among community college students across the country;  **Nate Smith-Tyge, ** a PhD student at Michigan State University (MSU) and longtime Director of the MSU Student Food Bank;  and Triada Stampas, Vice President for Research and Public Affairs at the Food Bank for NYC. “I think the main problem…is that we have failed to recognize that the undergraduate in American higher education has changed over time, and we have not equipped our colleges and universities, and changed our policies, to meet the needs of today’s students.” [20:10] – Sara Goldrick-Rab  

On this episode of Eating Matters, Jenna Liut and Austin Bryniarski are joined by A Taste of Generation Yum author Eve Turow Paul and food entrepreneur Hallie Meyer to discuss the origin and degree of the Millennial food obsession, as well as what is spells for the future of the U.S. food system. Tune in to hear four Millennials immersed in different aspects of the food movement analyze Millennials in the food movement. “Today, it’s not necessarily the rock show that is the focus of the evening, it’s where you’re going to dinner. It’s the chef, it’s the menu, it’s where that menu was created, and where the local ingredients were coming from…and it is also the new form of social currency among our generation.” [5:00] – Eve Turow Paul

On this week’s episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut welcomes Alan Sytsma, editor of Grub Street to talk about the intersection of food media and policy. Tune to hear them discuss the most significant evolutions occurring in the food scene, and what they spell for the future – from dorm room cuisine to Manhattan’s _finest _dining. “Right now, probably the last ten, fifteen years, there’s a lot more emphasis on mindful eating and being aware of the impact that you’re having.” [4:40] – Alan Sytsma

In this episode of Eating Matters, Jenna is joined by the founders of 3 food companies representing different aspects of the startup communities. Derek Denckla draws from his years of experience as an advisor in the business startup world to talk about the changing face of food tech startups. Ethan Brown, founder of Beyond Meat, shares his vision on future sustainability through meat alternatives. Chef Alex Sorenson of Blank Slate Kitchen discusses his transition from chef to entrepreneur. “Now you go to bars, people don’t talk about I’m in a band, they talk about their startup.” [12:30] –Derek Denckla on Eating Matters “My approach is one of collaboration and trying to transition the system.” [30:30] –Ethan Brown of Beyond Meat on Eating Matters

Tune in to Eating Matters this week as Jenna Liut and guests are talking about a part of the food system worldwide that gets little attention in the U.S. – aquaculture. Globally, aquaculture is a $100 billion industry, comprising over one half of the world’s seafood production. Because of the significant problem of overfishing and the depletion of wild fish stocks globally, it is expected to become an increasingly critical part of the human food supply. In fact, one projection by the World Bank estimates that two-thirds of global seafood supply will come from aquaculture by 2030. Moreover, many healthy food advocates, environmental groups, and scientists have pointed to domestic aquaculture as a potential source for more sustainable, better regulated seafood. Joining today to give an overview of the industry – including support for and concern about the practices – is the panel of experts: Breanna Draxler, Patty Lovera and Bren Smith.

Last season Eating Matters  had pediatric endocrinologist, Dr. Robert Lustig, on the show to discuss sugar and its negative impacts and this week, as a follow up, Jenna Liut and Austin Bryniarski focus on the one sugary product that is arguably most harmful for your health – sugary drinks. There has been much in the news on sugary drinks in the past six months – from the NYT, for example, reporting Coca-Cola’s funding of scientific studies that shifts focus away from diet’s role in obesity to the recently reported success of the soda tax in Mexico. Taking a look back at when and why the public health community first started to target sugary drinks in addition to discussing what’s on tap for soda policy in 2016 given recent events, Jenna and Austin welcome two public health and food policy experts – Dr. Kelly Brownell and Jim O’Hara.  Tune in for a great show! “What you should do is make these products show their real cost, and that’s what a soda tax does. That money is then allowed to be used for the the prevention efforts.” [27:30] –Jim O’Hara on Eating Matters  

On this brand new episode of _ Eating Matters _, solo host Jenna Liut is taking on Chipotle Mexican Grill, who has been dealing with a spate of food poisoning outbreaks since this past summer.  Until recently, Chipotle has been seen by many as the “darling” of the restaurant industry – championing fresh, local ingredients and sustainably-raised meat. In doing so, Chipotle has managed to do the seemingly impossible – make a national fast-food chain with more than 1,900 locations – feel healthy and wholesome.  Their tagline, “food with integrity,” helped the company reach a market valuation of nearly $24 billion.  Jenna welcomes two food safety and food law experts, Bill Marler and Michael Roberts, to the the show to dig into what exactly has been going on with the chain and what the potential repercussions are from a legal and regulatory standpoint. SONY DSC

_ Eating Matters _ is back for it’s 4th season as hosts Kim Kessler and Jenna Liut welcome Helena Bottemiller Evich and Chuck Abbott to recap the biggest stories in food policy that broke in 2015.  Helena is a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO Pro while Chuck is a Contributing Editor at the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Between the genetically modified salmon dubbed ‘frankenfish’ to the Food Safety Modernization Act to the WHO labeling processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, both guests relay that this has been quite a newsworthy year!  Tune in to catch up on the headliners you may have missed! “The Campbell’s decision to be for mandatory GMO labeling is putting the pressure on other companies to figure this out.” [29:00] –Helena Bottemiller Evich on Eating Matters  

Wrapping up the radio season, Eating Matters hosts Kim Kessler and Jenna Liut are talking kids menus – where they came from and how they reflect the state of the broader food environment and culture in America today.  Kids also represent a highly targeted and sought after portion of the consumer population.  With the rise of kids menus came marketing to children, which really took off starting with the first ever ‘happy meal,’ in the 1970s.  Today marketing food to kids specifically is a multi-billion dollary industry and many believe is responsible in part for the high rates of obesity and diet-related disease.  Helping to further delve into these issues and possibly policy solutions are Austin Bryniarski, George Weld, chef and owner of Egg, and Jennifer Harris, the Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity.

_ Eating Matters _ is taking a new angle this week as Kim Kessler and Jenna Liut are taking on pet food. What is best – dry or wet? Should pets be vegan? Can you trust your veterinarian’s opinion? Tune in for a fascinating discussion on the ethics and cultural opinions surrounding Fido’s dinner featuring guests Craig Giammona, Jackson Landers, and Celia Kutcher. “Anything kibble based I am not a fan of… Dry food causes problems in the long run.” [34:00] –Celia Kutcher on Eating Matters

“Product of Mexico” – an all too common sticker on many tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers arriving in the USA by the ton, found in your local grocery store. This week on _ Eating Matters _, Kim Kessler and guest co-host Evan Hanczor is on the line with reporter Richard Marosi who is behind the Pulitzer Prize nominated investigative series Product of Mexico featured in the Los Angeles Times, heavily commenting on the conditions that Mexican agricultural workers face. Richard emphasizes the poor conditions endured throughout their lives and the corporations that are to blame, though these corporations claim their Mexican suppliers have committed to decent treatment and living conditions for workers.  Tune in to this important show for more and learn how to take action. “There’s not regular oversight or media attention given to these issues.” [19:30] “There’s a history of squashing labor movements in Mexico – sometimes violently.” [21:00] –Richard Marosi on Eating Matters  

Today on _ Eating Matters _, hosts Kim Kessler and Jenna Liut welcome Dr. Robert Lustig to the show talking about America’s over-consumption of sugar as well as its implications on the country’s health.  A pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, and one of the foremost childhood-obesity researchers, Dr. Lustig shares how he became involved with the sweet research as well as other interests that have played into his clinical observations.  Is all sugar created equally?  Should we go as far to consider sugar poisonous to the body? Tune in for this truly informed discussion for more! “When your insulin is high, you would rather store it than burn it. As it turns out, all of our insulins are 2 to 4 times higher today than they were 40 years ago, and the question is, what happened to our environment to make this change?” [5:02] –Dr. Robert Lustig on Eating Matters  

Tune in for a special partnered episode of _ Eating Matters _ and _ The Farm Report _ as hosts Kim Kessler and Erin Fairbanks are on the line with the United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary, Krysta Harden.  Recently announced, the Department of Agriculture announced a commitment to prioritize $5.6 billion over the next two years within USDA programs and services that serve new and beginning farmers and ranchers. Deputy Secretary Harden also announced a new, tailored web tool designed to connect burgeoning farm entrepreneurs with programs and resources available to help them get started.  With the the American farmer reaching on average 58 years old, the next generation of farmers and ranchers is imperative to the future of feeding the country.  What are the challenges for new farmers?  How has the role of women evolved in farming?  How is the USDA looking to help? “We don’t need more farmers markets we meed more people shopping at farmers markets.” [17:00] –USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden  

This week Eating Matters is talking food waste with Dana Gunders and Emily Broad Leib. Dana Gunders is an NRDC Staff Scientist focused on Food and Agriculture. She works on market and policy oriented initiatives to promote sustainability throughout food systems and supply chains. She leads NRDC’s work on reducing food waste and is the author of a widely distributed report “Wasted: How America is Losing Up to 40% of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill”. She also recently co-authored a report called The Dating Game, revealing how confusing food dates lead to food waste in America. Emily Broad Leib is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, as well as Deputy Director of the Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation. She co-founded and directs the Center’s Food Law and Policy Clinic, the first law school clinic in the nation devoted to providing legal and policy solutions to nonprofit and government clients in order to address the health, economic, and environmental challenges facing our food system. Broad Leib is recognized as a national leader in Food Law and Policy. Emily’s project, “Reducing Food Waste as a Key to Addressing Climate Change,” was one of seven chosen from around the university to confront the challenge of climate change by leveraging the clinic’s food law and policy expertise to identify systemic solutions that can reduce food waste, which is a major driver of climate change. Tune in for this informative show!

This week on _ Eating Matters _, hosts Kim Kessler and Jenna Liut welcome Leanne Brown to the studio, author of Good and Cheap, a free PDF cookbook for low-income and Food Stamps recipients.  Leanne explains that while the project may have started as her graduate thesis, it became much bigger than that to the point where she made the book available as a free PDF download to ensure the recipes make it into the hands of those who can’t afford a copy. Everyone should eat great food every day. Eating well means learning to cook and means banishing the mindset that preparing daily meals is a huge chore or takes tremendous skill.  Tune in for an inspiring episode!

Is it possible to eat a nutritious, healthy diet on a budget?  Is healthy food too expensive, or too cheap? These are the big questions on this week’s episode of Eating Matters with host Kim Kessler and co-host Jenna Liut.  With these concerns creating fault lines among food advocates, some of which have said that Americans need to spend more of their income on food, it raises concerns about those who can’t currently afford enough good food to eat.  On the line, Kim and Jenna welcome two experts, Parke Wilde (Associate Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University) and Marlene Schwartz (Director, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, University of Connecticut), for a thorough discussion surrounding these questions.  

Continuing discussion on the controversial topic of food labels, this week Eating Matters host Kim Kessler and co-host Jenna Liut are on the line with Laurie Beyranevand and Andrew Martin. Laurie is the Associate Director of the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems and is also an Associate Professor of Law at Vermont Law School while Andrew is an investigative reporter for Bloomberg News in New York who recently wrote about the animal welfare system at Whole Foods Market and the challenge of sourcing enough “sustainable products” to meet consumer demand.  Between the various claims found on products as well as the attractiveness of labels, conversation circles around terms like cage free, free range, humanely raised, and grass fed, and what they imply.  Delving into photo regulations that exist for food labels plus additional thoughts on the Whole Foods labeling system for animal welfare, this episode sheds more light on this expansive topic. “I love the term humanely raised because there’s one that is totally open to interpretation. I would argue that probably 95% of farmers in the United States believe their livestock are humanely raised but the average consumer might look at it and think otherwise.” [4:22] –Andrew Martin on Eating Matters “The fact that the USDA and the FDA regulate differently and that the USDA has defined some terms that the FDA has chosen not to define, if there was consistency across the agencies, that would be a positive step in the right direction.” [30:26] –Laurie Beyranevand on Eating Matters    

Are food labels telling the whole truth? With the number of buzz words cluttering labels on products lately, it’s easy to feel disenchanted browsing the aisles of even the best grocers. This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler and co-producer Jenna Liut are on the line with Stephen Gardner and Diana Winters in an effort to demystify food labels, some of which that have even spurred lawsuits. Stephen heads the food law practice at the Stanley Law Group of Dallas, Texas while Diana is a Professor of Law at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.  Tune in for a great discussion! “There’s been some indications that companies are moving away from using the word ‘natural’ because it is seen as a litigation magnet… but companies are moving to other words like using ‘fresh’ instead of ‘natural.'” [15:40] –Diana Winters on Eating Matters “I find it hilarious for companies to complain that it’s just a bunch of lawyers trying to make money when they’re being sued over their lying to people in order to make money!” [19:50] –Stephen Gardner on Eating Matters  

Eating Matters is back for a new radio season! Host Kim Kessler is joined by Doug Davis (School Nutrition Association), Margo Wootan (Center for Science in the Public Interest), Kathy Lawrence (School Food Focus), and Eric Goldstein (NYC Department of Education) to discuss the scope and scale of the school lunch program and exactly what is at stake as current policy issues arise. With an ongoing discussion revolving around the SNA requesting flexibility with implementing school lunch standards, increased lunch funding, and the concept of universal meals, today’s guests bring a great deal of insight to the situation. Tune in for a great debate on how best to achieve success in the school lunch realm. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “Lunch period and breakfast are two very important health classes that the kids should have everyday. We have to rethink how we treat lunch and breakfast as part of the school day.” [14:00] –Eric Goldstein on Eating Matters    

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is on the line with Paula Daniels, the founder of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC), a policy based collective impact initiative of food system leaders working toward an environmentally sustainable, equitable and regionally based food system. Discussing the current drought in California, Paula shares the outlook from the agricultural perspective and details the overall crop production throughout the state and how it affects water consumption. With almond farming taking up nearly ten percent of California’s water resources, for example, Paula suggests aquaculture as an alternate farming practices that could perhaps be an eventual fix to such droughts. Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks and aquatic plants, has potential to not only be economically viable but also to support local food systems. After the break, Kim and Paula talk about the Los Angeles Food Policy Council’s key project, the Good Food Purchasing Policy, which harnesses the purchasing power of major institutions to encourage greater production of sustainably produced food,healthy eating habits, respect for workers’ rights, humane treatment of animals and support for the local business economy by providing new opportunities for small and mid-sized farmers and job creation along the supply chain. Tune in to hear more from Paula and the LAFPC’s many accomplishments. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Most of the water in California in the north, most of the demand is in the Central Valley and in the south, in Los Angeles… so we’ve been moving water around the state for nearly a century now.” [5:33] “The issue with the tree crops is that they are permanent so they function in a way that we call hardening the water supply so you can’t fallow tree crops, you have to pull them out… so it’s a big economic loss if you have to do that.” [6:58] —Paula Daniels on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is joined by assistant producer Talia Ralph for a show focusing on feeding the Navajo Nation. The Navajo, like many other American Indians and Alaska Natives, struggle with some of the worst health outcomes in the United States. Sonlatsa Jim-Martin of the Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment (COPE) Project and Ona Balkus of the REACH Food Coalition via Harvard University join the program talking about their combined efforts to mobilize community and change the current lacking regional food systems and healthcare delivery. Sonlatsa and Ona explain that their goal is to improve the overall health of high-risk patients with poorly controlled chronic diseases and those at risk of developing chronic diseases living within Navajo Nation. Also discussing how these helpful efforts began as well as the highlights and challenges of this important food advocacy, Kim gets the scoop on what’s next for COPE and REACH Projects efforts. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. Photo via Partners In Health website “A lot of the problems with the food system in Navajo Nation are ones that go back many generations.” —Ona Balkus on Eating Matters “This connection that we have with food is a part of our fundamental laws as Navajo people. It’s a part of our spiritual wellness and it is a customary law that goes into our teachings about the Earth and our relationship with food and water.” —Sonlatsa Jim-Martin on Eating Matters

Generating over $12 billion in annual sales, kosher food is big business. This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler and guest co-host Talia Ralph welcome Timothy Lytton, law professor and author of “Kosher: Private Regulation in the Age of Industrial Food” to the show. Discussing how kosher food came to be a successful private-sector regulation in an era of growing public concern over the government’s ability to ensure food safety, Tim divulges the factual evolution of the kosher certification. Currently, a network of over three hundred private certifiers ensures the kosher status of food for over twelve million Americans, of whom only eight percent are religious Jews. However, Tim explains in detail that this system was not always so reliable. After the break, Tim speaks on the Vinegar Scandal of 1986 and how the horrible instance went on to further improve kosher regulations and how private kosher certification holds important lessons for improving food regulation in general. Like organic and locavore enthusiasts, a growing number of consumers see in rabbinic supervision a way to personalize today’s vastly complex, globalized system of food production. Tune in for a wonderfully informative show. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “What we find in kosher is that people want different levels of stringency.” —Timothy Lytton on Eating Matters.

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler and guest co-host Talia Ralph are on the line with Anurag Varma, attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP who has been an instrumental part of what is considered the biggest discrimination case in agricultural history, Pigford v. Glickman. In the 1999 case Pigford v. Glickman, African-American farmers claimed the USDA had systematically discriminated against them on the basis of race, wrongfully denying them of farm loans and assistance. A successful case relating to discrimination against Native American farmers also followed, Keepseagle v. Vilsack. Although the Pigford case was settled, many farmers were unable to file claims before the deadline and numerous lawsuits were filed. Over a decade later in 2010, Congress approved $1.25 billion to pay claims and other expenses as part of the Settlement of Pigford II. Talking to Anurag about how the case came about and his experiences working for a positive outcome, Kim and Talia also get his take on the similar Keepseagle v. Vilsack case. Tune in for a great show! This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham. &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp”Forty acres and a mule. The government broke that promise to African American farmers. Over one hundred years later, the USDA broke its promise to Mr. James Beverly. It promised him a loan to build farrowing houses so that he could breed hogs. Because he was African American, he never received that loan. He lost his farm because of the loan that never was. Nothing can completely undo the discrimination of the past or restore lost land or lost opportunities to Mr. Beverly or to all of the other African American farmers whose representatives came before this Court. Historical discrimination cannot be undone.” Opinion in Pigford v. Glickman, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “It’s been the greatest honor in my life to work on both of these cases.” [34:00] —Anurag Varma on Eating Matters

This week on a jam-packed Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler and guest co-host Chef Evan Hanczor are talking mission oriented food trucks with a plethora of guests including: Jordyn Lexton, Fredrick Coleman, and Matt Geller. Jordyn is the founder of the Snowday Food Truck and Drive Change, which operates in NYC to build and operate locally sourced food trucks that hire, teach and empower formerly incarcerated youth while Fredrick is the Drive Change/Snowday liaison. Matt is on the line from California and is the CEO of the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors’ Association and as such has extensive experience advocating on behalf of food trucks. In the first half of the show, the group chats about Jordyn’s background and experience in the criminal justice sector and how she became involved in the food truck realm, plus what she and Fredrick believe customers take away from their unique food trucks. After the break, Matt joins in the conversation giving further insight on the regulations and technicalities of running food trucks and explains how food trucks are important entities in the restaurant and food industries. Tune in for a great show! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “We want to create community. We use the food truck as a mechanism to do that.” [20:00] —Jordyn Lexton on Eating Matters “What the food truck industry has done has really created a lot of innovation in the food industry because it’s so expensive to get into. It can be a little stifled… and some food truck owners become restaurant owners eventually as well.” [26:00] —Matt Geller on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters Kim Kessler is joined by Robert Egger, the Founder and President of L.A. Kitchen, which recovers fresh fruits and vegetables to fuel a culinary arts job training program for men and women coming out of foster care and older men and women returning from incarceration. L.A. Kitchen is currently holding a pilot program at St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, and will move into its own kitchen facility in 2015. Robert pioneered this model during his 24 year tenure as the President of the DC Central Kitchen, the country’s first “community kitchen”, where food donated by hospitality businesses and farms is used to fuel a nationally recognized culinary arts job training program. Since opening in 1989, the Kitchen (which is a $11 million a year, self-sustaining, social enterprise) has produced over 26 million meals and helped 1,000 men and women gain full time employment. The Kitchen operates its own revenue generating business, Fresh Start Catering, as well as the Campus Kitchens Project, which coordinates similar recycling/meal programs in over 40 colleges or high school based kitchens. In addition, Robert is the Founder and President of CForward, an advocacy organization that rallies employees of nonprofits to educate candidates about the economic role that nonprofits play in every community, and to support candidates who have detailed plans to strengthen the economy that includes nonprofits. This program was sponsored by Cain Vineyard and Winery. “Restaurants are the island of misfit toys.” [05:00] “We’ve raised a generation with the idea that the food pyramid is the way we’re supposed to eat. Industry has become wildly good at figuring out how to addict people to crunchy, sweet, etc.” [24:00] “I think there’s a tremendous alliance between older eaters and younger millennial eaters that needs to be explored.” [26:00] –Robert Egger on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is looking at the intersection of healthy food and design and how smart design can influence physical activity. Welcoming Joanna Frank, she is the Executive Director of the Center for Active Design, a nonprofit resource for design professionals, policy makers, real estate developers and community advocates, committed to promoting and expanding the Active Design Guidelines published by New York City in 2010. Joanna explains how the center maintains a multi-disciplinary perspective in the translation of health research into design solutions that amplify the role of architecture and urban planning in improving public health and well-being. Their mission is to reduce the risk of obesity and chronic diseases by promoting physical activity and healthy food access through the design of buildings, streets, and neighborhoods. Tune in for an interesting conversation! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “We are really promoting design strategies that provide more opportunities for food retail and food access.” [2:33] “Ten years ago we started looking at is there a role the designers of our spaces, streets, buildings, to play in offsetting this public health crisis?” [6:15] —Joanna Frank on Eating Matters

Are you #LivingOffTips? This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is talking to Meg Fosque, the National Policy Director of Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United. ROC United exists to improve wages and working conditions for the nation’s restaurant workforce. Meg explains that with over 10 million employees nationwide, the restaurant industry is the one of the largest and fastest-growing private sector employers in the nation. Unfortunately, despite the growth and profitability of the industry, restaurant jobs provide largely low wages and little access to benefits. Meg and Kim discuss exactly how ROC United has made a difference and what the organization’s goals are for the future. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “There’s a real desire on the part of restaurant workers to have an organization that they can rally with and impact the industry.” [24:35] “We try to take a three pronged approach which is affecting cultural change, corporate change, and policy change.” [26:25] —Meg Fosque on Eating Matters

This week on the third installment of the Prescribing Food series, host Kim Kessler welcomes Dr. Deborah Frank to Eating Matters, discussing the connection between food and healthcare. Kim asks Dr. Frank about her incredible background and how it led her to found and direct the Grow Clinic for Children at the Boston Medical Center, where malnourished kids and their families are helped by a team of doctors, social workers, and nutritionists. She goes on to share details about Children’s HealthWatch and that while malnutrition in children is not incredibly rare in the United States, it does exist and deserves to be addressed. Later in the show, Kim gets the scoop on the Preventive Food Pantry housed at the Boston Medical Center. The Food Pantry works to address nutrition-related illness and under-nutrition for low-income patients. It fills the therapeutic gap by linking physicians and nutritionists to patients. Individuals with special nutritional needs are referred to the Pantry by Boston Medical Center primary care providers who write “prescriptions” for supplemental foods that best promote physical health, prevent future illness and facilitate recovery. The Pantry is often used by patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, obesity, food allergies and other chronic conditions. Tune in for a great show! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “I did a fellowship with Dr. T. Berry Brazelton in child development and realized that poor nutrition was one of the preventable and treatable causes of learning and behavioral difficulties.” [1:42] “Food is medicine.” [28:45] —Dr. Deborah Frank on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is talking with Gus Schumacher, Vice President and Founding Board Chair of Wholesome Wave. Wholesome Wave is a national nonprofit that is helping to reshape the American food system by putting entrepreneurial, innovative thinking to work. The organization partners with farmers and farmers markets, community leaders, healthcare providers, like-minded nonprofits and government entities to implement programs that increase affordable access to healthy, locally grown fruit and vegetables for consumers in underserved communities. Gus discusses how the organization began, their mission, highlights from their work, as well as the change they hope to see come about concerning hunger and agricultural issues in the future. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “I think with the data that we’ve seen so far doctors are very enthused about the program [Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program]. They now have something to say to a family, not just to hand them medicine to help reduce diabetes but they have a fruit and vegetable prescription for the family as a unit.” [25:00] “With 10 to 13 million Americans now insured through the Healthcare Act, that hospitals are now turning to wellness and prevention.” [29:00] —Gus Schumacher on Eating Matters

God’s Love We Deliver started in 1985, when Ganga Stone biked over a couple bags of groceries to a friend living with HIV/AIDS. When she realized that he needed more than raw ingredients, she founded God’s Love — an organization that tailors nutritious, health-promoting meals for people living with serious illnesses. On today’s Eating Matters episode—the second installment of the “Prescribing Food” series—the organization’s Director of Policy and Planning Alissa Wassung joins assistant producer Talia Ralph, along with Sarah, a client of God’s Love. The conversation spans how their client base has grown and changed to what progressive policies are happening in New York state to make these kinds of services easier to access. “Food is love,” is one of GLWD’s central tenets, but it is also a powerful tool to make people’s lives easier and healthier as they face cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other serious illnesses. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Back in 2001 we actually expanded our mission to serve people living with all severe illnesses: cancer, MS, Alzheimer’s, etc. The reason we did that is that we had learned so much about treating illness with nutrition with our work with the HIV/AIDS community that we had clients calling us up saying ‘my friend has cancer, can you help them?’ and of course we couldn’t say anything but ‘yes.'” [4:09] “We believe that being sick and hungry is a crisis that demands urgent response… We never charge clients for their meals and we will never have a waiting list. ” [5:26] —Alissa Wassung on Eating Matters

Do you really know what’s in the olive oil you use everyday? How about the true contents of your morning coffee blend? This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is joined by Michael Roberts, Executive Director of the newly established Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. Chatting with Kim about the growing menace of food fraud, the two discuss the definition of food fraud, examples of particular products that tend to be adulterated, and the dangers and concerns associated with this global problem. Given the increasingly global and complex nature of food supply chains, Kim and Michael question why food fraud is acknowledged yet not truly addressed. Tune in for an informative show! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Olive oil is often labeled as pure, extra virgin olive oil, and that is not that case for a lot of olive oil, unfortunately. One of the problems is that the labeling rules for olive oil are not very clear, they’re very obscure.” [17:35] “We are trusting the production of these products in the hands of people who cheat.” [21:15] —Michael Roberts on Eating Matters

Hospital food often gets a bad rap: it’s often unappetizing, unbalanced, and definitely unhealthy. This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is addressing the issue head on. After spending over 25 years as a lawyer on the Hill, a healthcare administrator, and philanthropist, Marydale DeBor decided it was time to put delicious, nutritious food at the center of healthcare. Her organization, Fresh Advantage, employs a team of nutritionists, consultants, and other experts to help a range of health providers serve up food that is fresh and healthful. Kim and Marydale discuss how exactly she started Fresh Advantage and the trials and tribulations along the way working with hospitals, patients, and navigating government regulations. After the break, Marydale shares three levels of nutrition intervention that have the benefit of being high-impact and low-cost. Tune in for an informative, new episode kicking off 2015! This program was brought to you by Route 11 Potato Chips. “We felt that it was so important to have fresh, organic as possible, locally sourced ingredients, and give people a couple of choices that would be so rewarding and delicious that that would be satisfactory.” —Marydale DeBor on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is ending the year on a high note, sitting down with author, food security expert, and the policy director with the NYC Food Policy Center, Dr. Jan Poppendieck. Initially talking about her recently reissued book, “Breadlines Knee-Deep in Wheat: Food Assistance in the Great Depression,” Jan points out that it was around the time of the great depression where the country became aware of two of today’s important public issues: farm income and hunger. Jan goes on to unravel the interrelated and complex agricultural and assistance policies throughout the years with many notes of good intentions gone bad. Tune in for a great show! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “The anti-hunger movement has gotten a lot of its finances from corporations that are simultaneously the perpetrators of some of the wage and labor practices that send people to food pantries in the first place.” [28:00] —Dr. Jan Poppendieck on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is discussing school food with guests Laura Benavidez of the Los Angeles Unified School District and Mark Izeman, of the NRDC New York Urban Program. Specifically inspired by the recent story of six of the largest US school districts having switched to antibiotic-free chicken (including Laura’s district), Laura explains that this is intended to protect children’s health. Amid concerns about the rise of bacteria that gain resistance to conventional medicines, Mark shares the specifics of the usage of such antibiotics in food across the country. Under the new standards, all chicken products served in the districts must come from birds that were never fed antibiotics. Kim goes on to talk to Laura and Mark about the big switch, which is expected to take several years as contracts with food vendors expire and meat producers respond to the new standards, among other details surrounding the program. After the break, Dennis Dimick, editor of the food series at National Geographic, joins Kim for a discussion of the series and food issues occurring in the past year. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts, Classicstock/Corbis/National Geographic A shared meal binds people together, family saying grace. “Our major goal was food and where it comes from. It just doesn’t register in the public’s mind, and trying to get a connection between people in society and where food comes from and what it takes to make it happen and the impacts of it… that’s the under pinning of what you need to change policy.” [22:30] —Dennis Dimick on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is recapping Thanksgiving with guest co-host Michael Melcher and guest Rebecca Morgan, the Executive Director of the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE). The group CADE is a non-profit, agricultural development organization serving farmers, cooperatives and agricultural businesses regionally. Established in 1991, CADE has worked to connect producers of specialty farm products to markets. CADE also conducts research on agricultural opportunities and markets with the goal of building a thriving community-based local food system. Talking about foodshed development in the Catskills and surrounding area, Rebecca shines light on the state of local agriculture before commenting on yogurt being named the New York state food with Chobani being in the spotlight. However, she relays that this has not exactly translated to local farm profit. After the break, Kim asks Rebecca to expand on CADE and Lucky Dog Organic Farm recently announcing the Lucky Dog Local Food Hub being selected for funding through the Local Food Promotion Program of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Tune in to hear a plethora of information on keeping food sources local from someone in the know, guest Rebecca Morgan. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. %E2%80%9D%20width=400>%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%E2%80%9CI%20grew%20up%20here,%20on%20a%20diary%20farm,%20in%20this%20region%20so%20I%E2%80%99m%20literally%20working%20with%20people%20that%20I%20knew%20as%20a%20child%20that%20I%20knew%20from%20the%20farming%20world.%E2%80%9D%20%5B34:25%5D%0A%0A%E2%80%94Rebecca%20Morgan%20on%20Eating%20Matters" />

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler welcomes Dr. Melony Samuels, the Executive Director of the Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger. Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger (BSCAH) is unique amongst the food pantries in Brooklyn as the first “supermarket-style” pantry. The pantry allows customers to select for themselves both fresh fruits and vegetables and nutritious food items from the pantry shelves. Taking a holistic approach to combating hunger, BSCAH also serves our clients through various social services including job training and education referrals, Food Stamps enrollment, cooking classes, summer camps, pre-HIV testing, diabetes and high blood pressure testing, and financial literacy classes. As the largest food pantry in Brooklyn, BSCAH offers a host of vital services to the over 11,000 clients that they serve a month. Kim asks Melony how she got her start and founded the BSCAH and how she has seen positive change for those helped by the BSCAH. After the break, Melony describes the layout of the food pantry, the process of receiving donations, and her thoughts on current food policy. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “I had no plan to head up an organization, I just wanted to help but I found that there was a need.” [9:00] “I wanted to make sure individuals could be served with dignity.” [17:00] —Dr. Melony Samuels on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is talking about kids and food and how all should be able to grow up eating nutritious food without the age old struggle of parents versus kids. Welcoming guests Pam Koch, Executive Director of the Tisch Food Center for Food, Education, and Policy at Columbia Teacher’s College, and Stefania Patinella, former Nutrition Director of Children’s Aid Society, they kick off the show debunking the myth that kids as a whole do not like eating healthy food. If food is both delicious and nutritious, the guests concur that kids will take to new menus in schools, for instance. Society has instilled many of the ideas of how difficult it is apparently to change kids’ diets for the better. After the break, the group talks how simply getting children involved in their food system conjures interest and desire to eat fresh foods. Tune in to for a wonderful discussion and to hear about those on the forefront of this matter making a difference. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “The biggest myth is that kids don’t like healthy food.” [1:57] —Stefania Patinella on Eating Matters “Parents think that kids aren’t interested in and aren’t able to help cooking at home.” [6:52] —Pam Koch on Eating Matters

On today’s episode of Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler interviews Chef Evan Hanczor and Chef Michael Leviton to discuss the roll of chefs in food policy; a roll that is becoming more and more relevant in the recent years. Kim first allows the chefs to explain how they got into food and how they grew in the industry. They then move onto discussions regarding the need for food sustainability and the various methods of encouraging this. Evan moved to New York City in 2009, working at Locanda Verde before nabbing a spot at Brooklyn’s Egg, where he mastered the many expressions of Southern cooking. In 2012, Brooklyn’s Egg owner George Weld and Hanczor opened Parrish Hall, whose Northeastern culinary expressions and sustainable infrastructure earned Hanczor a 2013 StarChefs.com Rising Star Sustainability Award. Michael Leviton has worked with some of the world’s top chefs and finest restaurants including: Joyce Goldstein at Square One, Alain Rondelli at Ernie’s, Gilbert Le Coze, Francois Payard and Eric Ripert at Le Bernadin, Elka Gilmore at Liberté and Elka, and Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque. In 1996, Leviton moved back to Boston to serve as Executive Chef at UpStairs at the Pudding. In February 1999, he opened Lumiere in his hometown of Newton, MA. In just a short period of time, Lumiere has become one of the best restaurants in the Boston area. This show was brought to you by Tabard Inn.     “When I learned to cook, there was no such thing as sustainability as it applied to food. It’s just that if you wanted to be the best chef, you needed the best ingredients” [6:30] —Michael Leviton on Eating Matters “Bootcamp was a really interesting program for me….Chef’s interested in sustainability, there’s an easy path in making an impact through your customers, through your supply train, through where you choose to buy, how you choose to serve etc. ” [14:30] —Evan Hanczor on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is talking transparency in the food system. Inspired by the UCLA-Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Conference that took place last week, Kim welcomes Erika George, Professor of Law at the University of Utah and Andrea Freeman, Professor of Law at the University of Hawaii to the program. Every day brings increasing news articles, intensified citizen concern, and political focus to the problems of our food system, accompanied by a building consensus to address the known challenges. However, it is noted in conversation that both the factors shaping and the implications of our current food system are often opaque and difficult to analyze, due to both the complexity and lack of transparency in our system. Most Americans are not aware of the consequences of the supply chains that they participate in, and in some cases health information about food products is also obfuscated or unclear. Yet, Kim and guests point out that there is debate among policy makers and food producers about the amount and type of information that consumers should be entitled to. This episode of Eating Matters further examines the issue of transparency in the food system, with the guiding questions of what do we mean when we say transparency, the role of the consumer in using information, and what more information can achieve and not achieve. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Many consumers simply aren’t aware where their candy bar comes from and what has gone into its production.” [15:25] —Erika George on Eating Matters “People who do not have a lot of disposable income to spend on food do not have choice – labels are irrelevant to them.” [21:15] —Andrea Freeman on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is leading a discussion on food safety with guests Denis Stearns, Alli Condra, Margot Pollans, and Brian Snyder. Opening the show speaking with Denis regarding his law practice experience seeing more and more food safety cases, the conversation turns to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) which was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it. The group discusses if the bill and implications and also if it has been successful before turning to issues concerning small farmers and those advocating for the small farmers across the country. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is taking on the topic of agricultural workers and the conditions under which they work in the United States. Welcoming Sanjay Rawal and Smriti Keshari, filmmakers responsible for the documentary, Food Chains, they explain that there is more interest in food these days than ever, yet there is very little interest in the hands that pick it. Farmworkers, the foundation of our fresh food industry, are routinely abused and robbed of wages. As the director of the film, Sanjay opens the show describing the big issues behind the film and why the it was ultimately made. Giving listeners an idea of what a day in the life of a farm worker is like, Smriti, one of the film’s producers, goes on to share the narrative of the film which focuses on an intrepid and highly lauded group of tomato pickers from Southern Florida – the Coalition of Immokalee Worders (CIW) – who are revolutionizing farm labor. Tune in to hear all about the forthcoming documentary and the issues it is bringing to light. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “The companies that haven’t signed on need consumers to mobilize.” [23:20] —Sanjay Rawal on Eating Matters “What really attracted me was to lend a voice to the people at the front of that battle.” [27:10] —Smriti Keshari on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler kicks off this show about food policy and political change with guest Michael Dimock. Michael is the President of Roots of Change which works to develop and support a collaborative network of leaders and institutions in California with interest in establishing a sustainable food system in the state by the year 2030. Talking to Kim about his latest projects as well as recent legislation concerning food, Michael explains what he has observed having been in the trenches lobbying for the food movement issues. In the second half of the show, Kim continues the conversation with Michael before introducing a new segment, Policy Made Personal, featuring UCLA Law student Sofia Beltran, reading an original essay. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “We believe that more unified power in the food movement is what’s needed to overcome the resistance at the policy level.” [2:24] “How do we get those who vote with their fork to now vote with their votes around these issues?” [25:45] —Michael Dimock on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler tackles more notable food policy issues. Opening the show with the policy roundtable, she welcomes Denis Stearns, Cathy Nonas, and Samuel Wiseman as they discuss produce that is sold at farmer’s markets. Are farmers really growing the produce that they are selling? The roundtable next discusses the new partnership between the Girl Scouts of America and Nesquick to promote cookie – flavored drinks. After the break, Kim speaks with Carlye Burd and David Flemister from EmblemHealth about the ways that EmblemHealth is trying to change the health of the communities they work in by making the connection between food and health. Talking about their initiatives to help their customers lead healthier lives, EmblemHealth seeks to be seen as more of a health resource that happens to sell insurance. Tune in to hear a great roundtable discussion as well as an inspiring business plan from an insurance company trying to change the game. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “This is the first foray into actually turning a program that connects our members to food to a value added benefit – that’s part of one of our products. It’s called the Local Fruits and Veggies Program. [18:20] —Carlye Burd on Eating Matters “About a year ago we started shifting how we saw ourselves and instead of saying we’re a health insurance company, we realized that the first step in being a neighborhood resource and helping people to stay healthy, live well, and get better, is to change your internal mantra – we call ourselves a neighborhood health and wellness company. [20:41] —David Flemister on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler welcomes in studio Ralph Loglisci of the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN) and via phone, Nadia Johnson of Just Food. Kicking off the show with a discussion about the recent People’s Climate March which recently occurred in New York City, Ralph and Nadia share their opinions on why the march and its cause is very connected to concerns about food and food policy. After the break, Kim gets Joan Gussow on the line to add her thoughts. Joan, a well known professor, author, food policy expert, environmentalist and gardener, is someone that The New York Times has called the “matriarch of the eat-locally-think-globally food movement.” Kim talks with Joan about the idea of what is referred to as ‘information pollution’ in the food industry. Seeking the truth behind controversial topics, it is increasingly difficult to find an unbiased information, especially when large corporations are concerned. Joan has led her classes through ways to dissect this type of problem and to be on the watch for who might be sponsoring such information. Taking on other hot topics spawned by the People’s Climate March, Joan initiates great talking points and encourages the consumer to educate themselves about where their food comes from and at what cost. Tune in for a thought-provoking episode picking up where the People’s Climate March left off. This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “I tell my students that the best thing you can do is to have some kind of cognizant frame where to put each piece of information, otherwise you end up with a heap of stuff.” [26:08] “If you’re going to talk about climate issues, you can’t really avoid talking the fact that we eat way too much meat – too much protein, period.” [29:18] “Recognize, as Barbara Kingsolver said long ago, that whatever great thing you do today remember that it began with eating something that came out of soil.” [35:25] —Joan Gussow on Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler takes on the topic of healthy retail access, opening up the show with her roundtable discussion. Welcoming Cathy Nonas, Denis Stearns, and Paula Daniels, the group discusses timely topics in the food policy realm. Cathy is the Senior Advisor to the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention & Tobacco Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene while Denis is a founding partner of Marler Clark, LLP, PS, a Seattle-based law firm with a national practice devoted to the representation of persons injured by unsafe food and drink. Paula Daniels is the founder of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, a policy based collective impact initiative of food system leaders working toward an environmentally sustainable, equitable and regionally based food system. After the break, Kim speaks with Sabrina Baronberg and Clare Fox to gain their insights on healthy retail access. Sabrina is the Senior Director of the Food and Nutrition Programs at Public Health Solutions, a nonprofit organization that develops, implements and advocates dynamic solutions to prevent disease and improve community health. Likewise, Clare is the Director of Policy and Innovation for the Los Angeles Food Policy Council. Tune in to learn the ins and outs of healthy retail access from a plethora of experts around the country. This program was brought to you by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. “There’s a lot of value [in urban agriculture] including when people are able to grow their own food they have a different relationship to it, and I think, eat differently” [4:59] —Paula Daniels on Eating Matters “It’s really important when we’re talking about food retail access to think about all the different facets of access. There’s convenience, there’s affordability, there’s attractability, there’s inventory, there’s merchandising, so it’s not just having things available.” [20:07] —Sabrina Baronberg on Eating Matters

This week, on the very first episode of Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler kicks off the episode with a roundtable discussion on food news and policy with Cathy Nonas and Denis Stearns. Cathy is the Senior Advisor to the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention & Tobacco Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene while Denis was a founding partner of Marler Clark, LLP, PS, a Seattle-based law firm with a national practice devoted to the representation of persons injured by unsafe food and drink. After the break, Kim welcomes Ricardo Salvador, the senior scientist and director of the Food & Environment Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Kim talks with Ricardo about his role at the UCS which includes working with citizens, scientists, economists, and politicians to transition our current food system into one that grows healthy foods while employing sustainable practices. Tune in for an info-packed episode! This program was brought to you by The Tabard Inn. “The fact that a disparity exists between rich and poor, in terms of food choice, is not new. There’s sufficient data to prove that healthier food is more expensive and usually more perishable.” [2:26] —Cathy Nonas on Eating Matters “Like so many things in the food industry, the use of antibiotics comes down to economics, which is really to say: it’s about profit and loss.” [5:57] —Denis Stearns on Eating Matters “Food is actually a big part of how we use our world. It is the world’s largest user of fresh water, with climate change this is a huge factor in terms of how we’re going to feed ourselves sustainably. Food is connected to everything. Literally.” [19:13] —Ricardo Salvador on Eating Matters